Bridgeport has a new fire chief who says one of his top priorities is dealing with an uptick in house fires over the past few months.

Lance Edwards is Bridgeport’s acting fire chief following the departure of Chief Richard Thode.

Thode left Bridgeport to become fire chief in Danbury.

Edwards has more than three decades of experience in firefighting and fire management, and has been a deputy chief since 2016.

City officials say one of Edward's top priorities will be managing the increase in house fires in the city that has been seen over the past six months.

Officials say the reason for the spike is due to people spending more time at home because of the pandemic.