A family of four is displaced after a house fire in Norwalk that sent three people to the hospital Wednesday night, according to Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Coppola. Two of them, including an elderly person in a wheelchair, had to be rescued from the burning home, Coppola said, crediting the quick action of firefighters for preventing a far worse outcome.

The initial call came in at 5:35 p.m. for smoke filling a house on Forbell Drive, but when trucks pulled up, firefighters found more than just smoke. Officials said flames were shooting out of the back of the home from the kitchen.

Coppola told News 12 the first crews got on scene in 3 ½ minutes, which was crucial since two of the four people who live there had managed to escape but the others couldn't get out. “In route, we were being told there were occupants still in the house, one being in a wheelchair. Within a minute of arrival, they had both occupants out of the house, which is remarkable,” Coppola explained, adding one person was found lying in the hallway and the other on a couch.

Coppolla said three of the family members were rushed to Norwalk Hospital for smoke inhalation but one of them was transferred to Bridgeport Hospital's Burn Unit for additional medical care and remained there Thursday morning.

Coppola told News 12 crews also rescued a dog from the burning home.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but the fire marshal has determined where it started. “Definitely began in the kitchen and then the fire extended from the kitchen out into the common hallway,” Coppola stated. “The damage is very extensive. The home is uninhabitable.” Officials did not release updated conditions of the victims.