The Monroe Volunteer Fire Department received a generous donation from a family that lost a loved one in a recent fire.

Sarah Cotter died in an August 2022 fire at her Monroe home on Bagburn Hill Road.

"It's always unfortunate when these things happen," said Monroe First Selectman Terry Rooney.

"It's the smoke that the poor woman perished in. The smoke got to her," said Monroe Fire Marshal William Davin.

Fire officials say she was home by herself when an electrical power strip became overloaded.

"From what we can figure out, asleep in the same room where the fire started and tried to get out the main entrance of the house," said Davin.

This was one of two back-to-back fatal fires in a matter of months in Monroe.

On Saturday night, the victim's family donated a $6,000 check to the Monroe Volunteer Fire Department.

The fire chief says the family asked that the money be split between the town's three companies.

"Well it's extremely generous. You don't see donations of this magnitude very often. The men and women of this fire service, they work hard to protect our citizens every day," said Rooney.

"We're going to put that towards training, fire prevention activities because unfortunately there was a lack of smoke detectors in this house," said Davin.

Nutmeg Adjusters, a business owned by the Cotter family, made the donation.

The family never forgot the brave responders who tried to save Sarah Cotter's life.