Groton —  Firefighters from Poquonnock Bridge Thursday night were  able to quickly extinguish a mattress fire in an apartment located at the Phoenix Apartments at 355 Long Hill Road.

Acting Captain Mark Murphy said the fire was reported at 10:36 p.m. He said there was a light smoke condition showing from the outside. He said there was heavy smoke pouring from the apartment into the hallway.

Murphy said a box-plus fire alarm was called in, which enabled them to request assistance from Mystic, Old Mystic and a ladder truck from Groton City.

He said five firefighters were on duty last night, which allowed them to comply with the requirement of having two firefighters outside while two firefighters go inside.

Murphy said today marks the first day of the new firefighter schedule in which they are now staffed at a minimum of three per shift. Nine firefighters from the department will be laid off at 8 a.m. today.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.