Massive fire forces 10 people from Waterbury home

According to firefighters, it happened on Windsor Street in the Bunker Hill section of town on Sunday.

"I didn't get out until the fire started hitting my room. I had to get out through the back roof," Sofia Pignataro, of Waterbury, said. "The people from the church came over, helped me down."

Members of Walnut Hill Community Church were right next door for their first of two Sunday services when they first felt the heat, and then spotted the flames.

"The front porch was already engulfed and it was burning," Joe Vaichus with Walnut Hill Community Church said.

Vaichus said that's when a few parishioners raced over to help.

"The fire was so intense," Vaichus said. "I don't know how they did it. The heat was just incredible."

Pignataro and some of her other families members were able to get out of window and onto a roof where the parishioners helped them down.

"They started climbing onto the porch, started climbing on top of the stove we had on the porch," Pignataro said. "They had to pick us up and bring us down. Make sure all the babies were down before anyone else."

Eyewitnesses reported seeing smoking billowing from miles away.

The American Red Cross is helping the family. While they will have to rebuild their lives, this morning, Pignataro said she was thankful, not only to the heroes who rescued her, but also because she was able to salvage one item given to her by her late mother. It is something she says can't be replaced.

"This is my baby blanket, I've had since I was born. My mom gave it to me," Pignataro said. "It's basically the only thing that survived that I have of my mom."

No injuries were reported to authorities.

The Waterbury's Fire Marshal has not determined the cause yet.

A GoFundMe has been setup for the families and the Walnut Hill Community Church will be collecting funds as well.