Fire officials say houses with newer construction can burn much more quickly.

They say homes built in the 2000s and after are constructed with smaller dimensions of lumber.

"It's actually going to heat up with the fire, and it's going to start sagging and collapsing, rather than a full thickness sheet of plywood,” says Capt. Jermaine Atkinson, of the Stratford Fire Department.

Atkinson says once a fire breaks out, people have only five minutes to evacuate.

"Make sure you have working smoke detectors, batteries are checked on a regular basis, and make sure your family has an escape plan,” he says.

Atkinson adds even though the home could burn quicker, their response time is still the same.

"When we get a call, we're ready to go. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week,” he says.

Fire officials say they take a look at properties in town during training to become familiar with the different types of construction.