LITCHFIELD, Conn. (Friday, Aug. 22, 2025) — Firefighters battled heavy smoke and zero visibility inside a Meadow Street home Friday night before extinguishing a hidden fire and rescuing two pets, officials said.

The Litchfield Fire Department was dispatched at 8:53 p.m. Crews arrived to find no exterior flames but discovered heavy smoke throughout the residence. Using a thermal imaging camera, firefighters located fire burning beneath second-floor floorboards and quickly knocked it down.

During the incident, the homeowner was found outside with an unresponsive dog and reported that a cat remained inside. Litchfield Ambulance personnel performed CPR on the dog, which regained a pulse and was transported to Newtown Veterinary Specialists. Firefighters located the cat alive and returned it to the homeowner.

The fire was placed under control and crews cleared the scene around 10:45 p.m. The cause remains under investigation by the Litchfield Fire Marshal’s Office.

Officials urged residents to test and maintain smoke detectors, replace batteries regularly, and establish escape plans for their families.

Responding agencies included Litchfield Fire, Bantam Fire, Torrington Fire, East Litchfield Fire, Northfield Volunteer Fire, Goshen Fire and Thomaston Volunteer Fire, along with Litchfield Volunteer Ambulance.