Sleeping Residents Escape Fire on Mapledale Road in Orange

An Orange fire marshal is crediting a fire alarm system for saving the lives of two elderly residents who were asleep when smoke and flames began to spread throughout their Mapledale Road home Thursday afternoon.

"If they didn't have a fire alarm system there would have been tragic results," says Tim Smith.

Smith says the residents, who he said both looked to be in their mid-70s, sprung awake upon hearing the alarm and rushed outside their 915 Mapledale Road home before fire officials arrived shortly before 12 p.m.

The fire was knocked down in about 30 minutes and there were no reported fire-related injuries, although one resident was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital, says Smith, who couldn't elaborate on the resident's condition.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. The fire marshal's office is investigating.