By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- A three-alarm fire broke out at approximately 2:55 a.m. on June 1, 2026, at the 44-unit Ledges Apartments on Ledgewood Road in Groton, Connecticut, prompting a mutual aid response from 12 fire departments.
- Six units sustained direct fire damage; the remainder of the building sustained water damage, with significant fire damage to the attic space — rendering the structure uninhabitable for the foreseeable future.
- More than 50 residents were displaced; no residents were injured, but two firefighters sustained minor injuries during suppression operations.
- The bulk of the fire was knocked down within approximately 90 minutes, with the fire declared under control at approximately 6 a.m.
- The cause of the fire is under joint investigation by the local fire marshal’s office, Groton Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosions Investigation Unit.
GROTON, Conn. — A three-alarm fire tore through a 44-unit apartment complex in Groton, Connecticut, in the early morning hours of June 1, 2026, displacing more than 50 residents and prompting a mutual aid response from 12 fire departments across the region, according to Poquonnock Bridge Fire Department Chief Jeffrey Rheaume.
The Groton 911 center began receiving multiple calls reporting a structure fire at the Ledges Apartments on Ledgewood Road at approximately 2:55 a.m. Arriving crews found fire visible on the second, third, and fourth floors as well as in the attic, concentrated at that time primarily on the building’s exterior porches. A third alarm was transmitted, drawing additional resources from departments as far as Old Saybrook, Norwich, and Stonington.
Firefighters knocked down the bulk of the fire within approximately an hour and a half, with the incident declared under control at around 6 a.m. Six units sustained direct fire damage, and the fire consumed a significant portion of the attic space. All remaining units incurred water damage during suppression operations. Rheaume stated the building’s structural condition would prevent residents from reoccupying it for a considerable period of time.
All but one of the building’s 44 units were occupied at the time of the fire. No residents were injured. Two firefighters sustained minor injuries during suppression efforts; one was treated at the scene and the other was transported to a hospital and released shortly afterward.
Displaced residents were assisted by the American Red Cross and the property management company, with a number of tenants relocated to the Hampton Inn in Groton and others housed by family and friends. Officials from the Red Cross and the property management company were scheduled to meet with displaced tenants at 8 a.m. Monday to discuss next steps, with mental health counselors from the Red Cross available on site. Arrangements were also being coordinated to allow residents to retrieve personal belongings from the building, with law enforcement providing overnight security at the scene.
The cause of the fire remains under active investigation by a joint team comprising the local fire marshal’s office, the Groton Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosions Investigation Unit.