Milford Family, 3 Dogs Displaced In Fire, Firefighter Injured

MILFORD, CT — A dryer fire displaced a family of four with three dogs early this morning in Milford, said Fire Battalion Chief Anthony Fabrizi. Fire dispatchers received a 911 call at 6:56 AM reporting the incident.

Firefighters arrived on scene and found smoke coming from the lower level garage area of the 2 story residence located at 65 William St., fire official said. A dryer fire was found in the lower level laundry room. The blaze was extinguished very quickly, confining the flames to the laundry room area, Fabrizi said. However, smoke damage did extend throughout the single family structure. The family members managed to escape but one dog needed to be rescued from the smoke by firefighters, fire officials said.

The homeowner made an unsuccessful attempt to extinguish the blaze before the firefighters had arrived. She was treated on scene for smoke inhalation and transported by Fire Paramedics to Milford Hospital for evaluation, Fabrizi said. One firefighter was injured while rescuing the dog and was transported to Milford Hospital for evaluation and treatment.

A Milford Red Cross representative arrived on scene to provide assistance for the displaced family.

Milford’s Fire Marshal’s division is investigating the incident.

"When a structure fire occurs, it is imperative to evacuate the residence and call 911 from outside of the building. Attempts to extinguish the fire should be left to properly trained and equipped fire personnel. As a reminder...Proper functioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors save lives. Please check yours today," Fabrizi said.

Photo credit: Anthony Fabrizi/Milford Fire