And it continues: Another PGFD 2nd alarm. Second fire at 3107 Good Hope Avenue in 11 days.
As we have been telling you it has been a busy week in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Last night PGFD had it’s third two-alarm fire in less than two days (links to those fires and other newsworthy PGFD incidents this week are below).
The significance of last night’s fire at 3107 Good Hope Avenue is that it was the second one at the seven-story building in Hillcrest Heights in 11 days. The previous fire, also a second-alarm, was on March 29.
In both cases PGFD officials determined the alarm system in the building was not operating properly. Last night’s fire was in a fourth floor unit and the cause is still under investigation.
The March 29 fire was in the afternoon in a ground floor storage room. That fire had extended via a pipe chase into the ceiling. There were no injuries in either fire.
Here are some details about the alarm problems from PGFD Chief Spokesman Mark Brady’s press release:
The buildings fire alarm system did not activate and residents banged on doors to alert other residents of the danger.
This building has a history of fire code violations and was most recently citied for an inoperable fire alarm system after a 2-alarm fire on March 29, 2010. Follow-up inspections have been performed since then by the Office of the Fire Marshal and the Department of Environmental Resources. Necessary repairs to the building were not completed from the March 29 fire and as a result a wing of the first floor was declared uninhabitable.
Another citation and correction order were issued after last nights fire due to the buildings fire alarm system being inoperable. Complex management must maintain a constant vigil over the building and call the Fire/EMS Department and check-in every hour until repairs are made.
Other PGFD incidents this week:
Raw video & pictures from two-alarm fire at Precision Cycle in Beltsville (Click here for a slideshow from that fire)
Car splits apart in Largo crash (and here)
Raw video & pictures from two-alarm fire at townhouse complex in Greenbelt
