At 3:30 a.m., units from Hyattsville and surrounding companies were alerted to the 2500 block of Queens Chapel Road for a reported apartment fire with people trapped. While enroute, Public Safety Communications advised they were receiving multiple calls.
Engine & Truck 801 arrived, reporting fire and smoke showing from the top floor of 2512 Queens Chapel Road with residents hanging out of windows.
As Engine 801’s crew pulled a line and made entry to the fire apartment, #204, Truck 801’s crew split for exterior and interior operations. The tillerman threw ground ladders and rescued three victims from Apartment 201. Four other residents were located in the adjacent apartment and were assisted by Truck 801’s officer down the interior stairwell to safety. After searches in the fire apartment were negative, crews continued extinguishment and started opening up the ceiling in the primary fire apartment. The truck crew also performed vertical ventilation.
The Working Fire Dispatch and a precautionary Second Alarm were sounded.
It required about 30 minutes to extinguish the fire that appears to have started in the kitchen if the apartment of origin. No injuries were reported, according to County Fire/EMS spokesman Mark Brady. Fire Investigators estimated fire loss at $75,000. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The County Citizen Services Unit and the American Red Cross provided assistance to the building residents that were displaced. 20 adults and 6 children received assistance. Some residents may be able to return within the week with others being a long-term displacement.
Working smoke alarms are credited with alerting the sleeping residents of the fire. The HVFD responded with 12 volunteers.
Unit Rundown
- 1st Alarm: E1, 55, 44 & 9, TK1, TW7, TK9, A1
- WFD: E11, TK28, MD44
- 2nd Alarm: E34, 33, 702, TK12, TW33, TK14
Fire damages apartment building in Hyattsville https://t.co/8FsNwD4OqD pic.twitter.com/7LXXAGpEEB
— FOX 5 DC (@fox5dc) January 22, 2016
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On scene w/units Queens Chapel Rd. Smoke alarm alerted building residents of fire, safe 2day because of that alarm pic.twitter.com/HicDeFdeWq
— Marc Bashoor (@PGFD_Chief) January 22, 2016
