FIRE QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED IN GALES FERRY

Ledyard — Crews quickly knocked down a blaze in the basement of a Gales Ferry home Tuesday morning, leaving the structure largely intact.

According to Loretta Cox, an owner of the home at 22 Oakridge Drive, two of her daughters, 15 and 13, were in the house when the fire began.

It was one of them who called 911 about 9:15 a.m. to let officials know what was happening, she said.

Both girls safely escaped the home along with their pet dog, who the girls said seemed to know something was wrong before they did. Cox’s husband also was safe.

As of 10:30 a.m., a pet cat had not been located. Cox described the cat as “thrifty” and said it’s possible if not likely it also escaped.

Neighbors and friends of the family quickly converged on the quiet community, offering refreshments, showers and a place to stay for a while.

About a half-mile away from the Gales Ferry Volunteer Fire Company’s headquarters, residents of the area generally aren’t alarmed when they hear sirens.

“I’m so used to hearing the fire trucks leaving the fire department that I don’t think about them coming right up here next to me,” the Coxes’ next-door neighbor said.

He didn’t catch the beginning of the blaze, but said he never saw visible flames, only smoke.

According to Lt. Brian Pepin, firefighters found heavy smoke flowing from a second-floor window when they arrived. Upon entering the home, they realized the fire was in the basement.

Pepin said crews used one hose line to quickly knock down the blaze.

Shortly after 10, some firefighters still were checking for hotspots and making sure the flames hadn’t spread anywhere else. Pepin said the structure remained “pretty well intact” but it was too soon to say how severe the smoke damage is.

“It’s just stuff,” said Loretta Cox, who initially thought her daughter was kidding when she called Cox at Pfizer to tell her the news. “This is one of the benefits of living that close to the fire department and having kids who know enough to call 911 and get out.”

Crews from Gales Ferry, Ledyard and the Naval Submarine Base responded to the fire. Two additional companies stood by in Gales Ferry and Ledyard, should another call come in. Ledyard Ambulance also was on scene.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

In January 2017, the owner of Nikko Oil contacted authorities after learning that Hart was delivering oil for another company while receiving benefits from Nikko through his insurer, Federated Insurance. Video surveillance conducted by Federated Insurance, in addition to security camera footage and electronic signatures at the oil terminal, showed Hart loading oil into a delivery truck on five separate occasions despite her claim that she was injured and could not perform the same duties for Nikko Oil, according to the state.

The case will be prosecuted by the Workers’ Compensation Fraud Control Bureau of the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney in Rocky Hill.