Ledyard — A single-family home in Gales Ferry is unlivable after a fire broke out in the rear of the house Saturday afternoon, Gales Ferry Fire Chief Anthony Saccone said.

The four adults and one child who live there were out of town at the time of the fire, he said, and the American Red Cross has been called to help them.

Saccone said the fire department got a call at 4:50 p.m. Saturday for a possible structure fire at 35 Lincoln Drive, with the caller reporting smoke in the back of the building, on the deck. First responders found the back of the house was on fire, and the fire extended to the attic.

There are no hydrants in the area, so firefighters called in firetrucks that strictly have water on them, Saccone said. The other fire companies that responded were Ledyard, Submarine Base, Poquonnock Bridge, Center Groton, North Stonington, Preston and East Great Plain.

"We extinguished the fire in the rear of the building," Saccone said. "There was some extension up toward the attic, and we extinguished that."

He said it took about an hour to completely put out the fire, and firefighters had to cut a hole in the side to get out. There's also water damage to the house.

Saccone said the cause of the fire is unknown but the fire marshal is investigating.

e.moser@theday.com