Stonington – A fire badly damaged a two-family home at 2 Bradley Street in the borough this morning.

There were no injuries as the five people who lived in the house across from the American Velvet Mill, were not at home when the fire broke out around 10:45 a.m.

A woman and her two teenage sons lived in the unit which was gutted by the fire. Firefighters found that their dog had perished in the blaze.  The family also had several cats which are still unaccounted for.

The unidentified woman, who is a nurse, arrived at the fire about an hour after it began and had to be comforted by police officers as she broke down in tears.

Fire Marshal George Brennan and police Detective John Fiore were able enter the house to begin their investigation into the cause about 3:45 p.m. this afternoon. It appears the fire may have started in the front living room portion of the first floor.

It took borough firefighters, with help from the Pawcatuck and Wequetequock departments, about an hour to get the fire under control.

Smoke billowed out the windows and roof as firefighters initially sprayed water into the two and a -half story house through the front door and front window.

“It was stubborn fire to fight,” Fire Chief Jeff Hoadley said this afternoon. “With the balloon construction it was in the walls and the attic. It took us a while to get it all out.”

During the first 45 minutes of the fire, firefighters had to contend with live power lines that were still attached to the house. Crews from Connecticut Light & Power then arrived to shut off the power.

With the 15 mile-per-hour-wind, Hoadley said that he was initially worried the fire could spread to a nearby home located just a few feet away. The neighborhood is comprised of tightly packed older houses that once were the homes of mill workers.

One of the units in the house, owned by Richard Montague of New London, was gutted and the other, where a couple lived, sustained smoke and water damage.

Both families are staying with relatives and have received some initial financial assistance to buy clothes and other necessities from the Stonington Human Services Department and the Red Cross.

Human Services Director Beth Stewart and First Selectman Ed Haberek said this afternoon that the town is working with the two families to come up with a list of items they need so residents and community groups can help them. Stewart said the list will be publicized on Wednesday.