Smoke Detectors Helped Family Escape Gales Ferry House Fire

Standing in her driveway while construction crews boarded up the windows and burned-through walls at 19 South Glenwoods Drive, Dana Patterson confirmed that her home is uninhabitable after an early morning fire tore through the two-story ranch early Wednesday morning.

“Next to your family getting out safely this is the best you can hope for,” she said pointing to her salvaged jewelry and file cabinet of important papers.

Dana, her husband Mark, her son Nathan and their four-year-old toy poodle Jazz escaped the early morning fire thanks to smoke detectors. Patterson said both her daughters are away and thankfully they didn't have to go through the experience.

The Fire Marshal is still investigating the cause of a fire that appears to have started in the dining room. According to the Gales Ferry Fire Department’s Facebook page, around 1:30 Wednesday morning, the “Gales Ferry and Ledyard units arrived to find heavy fire showing and live powerlines down in the front yard, initially forcing an exterior attack only...Members placed three handlines into operation, knocking down a bulk of the fire before commencing an interior attack to fully extinguish the fire.”

The Pattersons have lived at 19 South Glenwoods Drive for nine years and had lived elsewhere in Ledyard before that. Dana said she was comforted in knowing she lives in such a kind community.

According to the Ledyard Fire Company #1 Chief John Doucette, one firefighter sustained a very minor injury and was treated and released to full duty soon after.

Gales Ferry and Ledyard Fire Companies were assisted by Mohegan Tribal Fire Department FAST team, Ledyard Ambulance, Ledyard Police, Salvation Army Canteen 1, and the Ledyard Fire Marshall's Office.