Woodstock, CT — With limited daytime manpower, area firefighters were able to hold a bedroom fire to just the room of origin Thursday morning.
At approximately 9:56 AM on Thursday, July 17th, 2025, the Muddy Brook Fire Department and Bungay Fire Brigade were dispatched to 340 County Rd for reports of smoke in a residence. While en route, Quinebaug Valley Emergency Communications (QVEC) dispatchers learned the caller was seeing enough thick black smoke from outside the home that they were unable to see a whole side of the house. Dispatchers quickly hailed the Chief over the radio, relayed the update, and recommended an upgrade to a 1st Alarm response. The Chief officer agreed and a 1st Alarm was struck, bringing in firefighters from all of Woodstock and several surrounding towns.
Deputy Chief Tom Gugliotti told Quiet Corner Alerts that upon his arrival, he discovered the residents had evacuated the home, and a small amount of black smoke was coming from a second-floor doorway. With limited daytime manpower, the first crew, consisting of only two interior firefighters, entered the building searching for the fire. As the crew made it to the second floor in zero visibility conditions, they opened a doorway which, unbeknownst to them, blocked access to half of the second floor. As they searched the second floor, they were unable to find the source of the fire, fearing it was in the attic space above them. After several more minutes of searching, access to the remainder of the second floor was found, and water was quickly put on a small bedroom fire.
The fire was extinguished in approximately 15 minutes, and the incident was placed under control in approximately 40 minutes. The bulk of the damage was contained to the second-floor bedroom.
This fire highlighted a problem that Woodstock—and every volunteer department in the country—is facing: manpower, especially during the day. Many of the firefighters on the scene had to leave their day jobs, arriving well after the initial crew had made entry into the building. With the number of volunteers dwindling nationwide, departments are having to rely more and more on mutual aid just to have enough certified firefighters to safely fight a fire—particularly during the day, when many volunteers are at work.
Throughout the incident, firefighters encountered high heat and humidity, enhancing the risk of heat injuries while they fought the fire. Throughout the incident, Woodstock EMS and the Killingly Rehab Team provided water to firefighters and monitored them to ensure everyone remained safe in the heat.
Over the winter, the Muddy Brook Chiefs determined their alarm card, a preplanned list of departments and apparatus to be dispatched, needed a rework as it was several years old and did not necessarily meet the needs of a fire in modern-day Woodstock. This was the first fire with the new alarm card, and while it worked well, Chief Gugliotti explained that they would likely be making some minor adjustments based on lessons learned during this incident.
No injuries were reported as a result of the fire. The American Red Cross is helping the two occupants who were displaced.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Woodstock Fire Marshal’s Office.
Agencies that responded included the Muddy Brook Fire Department, Woodstock Volunteer Fire Association, Bungay Fire Brigade, Quinebaug Volunteer Fire Department, Eastford Independent Fire Company, Dudley Fire Department, West Thompson Fire Department, Woodstock EMS, and the Killingly Rehab Team.
Quiet Corner Alerts maintains a policy of not revealing the names of victims or suspects unless they are actively being sought by law enforcement or pose a perceived threat to the public.
