The raw video above is courtesy of Vito Maggiolo. Thank you Vito.
An early morning fire destroyed the building that used to house the Allen Theater in Takoma Park, Maryland. Until the fire. the old movie house was the home of Gussini, a clothing and shoe store at 6822 New Hampshire Avenue.
Picture by Bill McNeel. Click the image for more of Bill's photos.
The fire was reported at 2:28 Saturday morning. It quickly went to three alarms. More than 120 firefighters from Prince George’s County and Montgomery County worked to put out the flames.
The building is a total loss. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
According to the website Cinema Treasures, the Allen Theater opened in 1951 with a stage show, an orchestra and the movie “At War With the Army” starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. It closed in 1990, when it was converted to retail stores.
From the book Maryland's Motion Picture Theaters. Click the image for more history of the state's movie houses.
The Allen Theater in more modern times. Click the image for the Google Maps Street View.
Also on STATter911 …
- Maryland fire goes to 3-alarms overnight. Building once was Takoma Park’s Allen Theater. – December 5, 2009
- Weekend Roundup. – December 7, 2009
- Mystery odor forces shut down of shopping center. Six ill at Giant grocery store in Montgomery County, Maryland. – November 10, 2009
- UPDATED: Three-alarm fire in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Garden-apartment building burns Saturday evening. – December 27, 2009
Between 00:47 and 01:00 in the video, it looks like there is a car inside the building. I wonder if that has anything to do with the cause of the fire.
so i guess p.g. only does interior attacks in appartments and single family dwellings now?
Anonymous says
“so i guess p.g. only does interior attacks in appartments and single family dwellings now?”
If you are suggesting they should have entered this structure, you are a perfect example of why the rest of us have to travel to Emmittsburg every October. Use your head.
You’re kidding me right??? A 2-story commercial with heavy fire showing on arrival and you want an interior attack? Give me a break, what fire officers handbook did you dig that one out of?
what was the point of an interior attack the building was fully involved andd a total loss, an i guess you didn’t take into concideration on how stable the structuer is. why kill someone when you can surrond an drown.
this building was preplaned that if units encounted heavy fire it would be an exterior fight. the old theater seats were still in place and covered over with a plywwod floor.
Someone needs a refresher on what a BTU is and how many GPM are required based on 80×120 fully involved.
In reading the comments everyone seems to make avalid point. To the individual who criticized why wasn’t an agreesive interior attack made. As other Comments clearly point out there was/is absolutely no reason to make an interior attack with Heavy Fire Conditions visible by the 1st arriving units. Doesnnot it make sense to make an initial size up (basic Training/knowledge) And immediately deploy oncoming resources for an aggressive exterior attack? The Incident Command was in place the ICS/ with FIREFIGHTER SAFETY EVERYBODY GOES HOME was obviously an upfront thought/action.To the individual who made those silly comments, if you are an Officer in whatever Jurisdiction you might consider Remedial/In Service Training in Fire Ground Tactics/Strategy. The Basic Body of Knowledge which is SOP in all Fire & EMS Organizations, just may save a Firefighter’s Life. ie; Vacant Structure/Compromize of Structure from Fire/Fire/Spread. The MAY DAY MAY DAY Dreaded call was a distinct possibility/probability with Heavy Fire
Conditions visible, had an agressive interior attack been the
order. Stop and rethink your comments. I am inclined to believe you’re a Fire Service Veteran, and understand the importance of good coordination with ICS and Fire Ground Operations with a Fire call such as this was.
What the one comment about the car is probably referring to were HVAC units that came in from the roof when it failed.
A chilling reinforcement as to why a defensive stance was appropriate. (pun intended)
20 minutes on scene the 2 AC units came thru roof to just inside the atrium. 1st line “in” was a deck gun just to get a knock on the fully involved open 2 story atrium. Additonally, 50 thru the lobby of the atrium was stadium seating which originally descended. However, they placed a truss system in and leveled the floor for retail space and storage below that. 55 feet in would have been a straight down, and slide into the middle of the structure.
I’m told an interior attack was initially attempted with 2 2.5″ lines; needless to say it didn’t work. When Battalion 701 arrived on scene he pulled everyone out. I think that was an outstanding decision.
YES THERE IS CAR IN THE BUILDING, ITS A 1962 BUICK! STUPID COMMENT.