A family in Orange, Connecticut, managed to escape unharmed thanks to a working smoke detector after their home on Mapledale Road was engulfed in flames late Friday night. The Orange Volunteer Fire Department responded around 11:07 p.m. due to multiple 911 calls reporting visible flames.
Upon arrival, crews faced heavy fire spreading from the back of the house into the attic and vaulted ceilings. They quickly entered the home to extinguish the flames and search for the family’s dog, which sadly did not survive.
Firefighters, along with support from the Derby Fire Department, Orange Police, Woodbridge Fire Department, and AMR medical personnel, brought the blaze under control by 12:02 a.m. Despite difficult dark and stormy conditions with high winds making firefighting challenging, Chief Vaughan Dumas attributed the absence of serious injuries to the effective smoke alarm system.
The Orange Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire, emphasizing the critical importance of working smoke detectors in ensuring safety.
