We showed some additional video in this morning’s Quick Takes from last Wednesday’s fire in Girardville, Pennsylvania. This video by John Garber, without sound, is more extensive and at about 4:23 captures a firefighter needing a ladder to make his exit from a third floor room. Here’s part of the description with the video:
A team of firefighters were trapped in a third floor room when a piece of furniture fell over and blocked their exit and they began to run low on air. One firefighter was grabbed from a window while the other two were escorted out by the RIT team.
Jack McGee is a former FDNY firefighter who is well known to firefighters for his roles in Rescue Me and Backdraft. At the Academy Awards yesterday after his recent part in The Fighter, McGee was wearing his firefighter’s badge covered with a black stripe in honor of Firefighter Glenn L. Allen of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Allen was buried on Friday after being killed a week earlier when the ceiling of a burning Hollywood Hills home collapsed. In the video above, McGee explains how Firefighter Allen had helped his injured wife, Stephanie McGee, who had fallen during a hike.
I imagine that, like a lot of phrases many of us heard growing up, the term “Chinese fire drill” may no longer be politically correct. But that is exactly what this is. If you believe Wikipedia, “a Chinese fire drill is an act—especially, any large, ineffective, and chaotic exercise—by a group of individuals that accomplishes nothing.” I think that describes the video above. In addition, the caption indicates these are, in fact, firefighters from China.
Rhett Fleitz also spotted this video on YouTube last night and made the observation, “It just doesn’t seem to be a good idea”. Yes, more hard hitting commentary from THE Fire Critic. He really sticks his neck out there, doesn’t he?
The video seems akin to the one below that has been around for a couple of years showing firefighters giving a car a hydaulic lift.
Early video from last week’s fire in Girardville, Pennsylvania: Firegeezer did a good job of covering Wednesday night’s fire that ran part of the block and resulted in a close call for a firefighter. Since then Coal Region Fire uploaded this video that gives you an early view of the fire and its progression. And you will find a whole bunch of pictures from the fire here.
Knowing more than the computer: If you haven’t had a chance yet to listen to the 911 call from the Nation’s Capital that WTOP/WJLA reporter Mark Segraves uncovered, you will want to do so. The director of the 911 center says the 14-minute delay in figuring out a location of a deadly incdent on a major roadway, described very well by a citizen, was a glitch in the system. I’m not buying that, and judging by the comments, few of you are. Click here for our coverage.
Glenn looks at lessons learned from the controversy over a blown engine at a Maryland pump test: The Deale VFD and the Anne Arundel County Fire Department aren’t seeing eye to eye after a 1991 pumper ended up needing a new engine. FireTruckBlog.com‘s Glenn Usdin has some interesting insight on this one and some practical advice. Click here.
Firefighter’s first fire is at a home he owns: What are the odds? Raul Thaper is a new firefighter in Greenville, North Carolina. His first fire was on Friday. That fire was in a home that Thapar owns and rents to someone else. Here’s the story.
Fractured spine for Sacramento FD captain: It was a fall from a roof at a house fire over the weekend that has put Captain Gene Dibble in the hospital. Officials say there is no paralysis but the captain is in a lot of pain. Here’ more.
Playing with fire: While I was in New York with the family in December we saw and thoroughly enjoyed the Flying Karamazov Brothers. It’s a comedy juggling act with enough stupid puns to keep me happy for weeks. In today’s City Room blog from The New York Times there is an interesting look at the Flying Karamazov Brothers putting their talents to good use with the FDNY in an unusual fire safety message. Check it out.
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Six-alarm mill fire in Woonsocket, Rhode Island: Matt Gregoire at ProvidenceFireVideos.com was on the scene yesterday afternoon as the vacant Seville Dye plant at Fairmount Street and First Avenue burned. Nearby homes were evacuated. Click here to read more about the fire.
One of the videos posted to YouTube as the Los Angeles Fire Department said goodbye to Firefighter Glenn L. Allen. Click the image below and watch news coverage of the funeral and procession from FireTruckBlog.com.
While the date and time embedded on the video say something different, the description with the clip says this fire occurred Saturday in Allen, Michigan. The fire was at 9011 W. Chicago Road inside a restaurant and antiques store. The video is from the Quincy Fire Department.
Here’s the description of the latest installment from the Effingwoods VFD:
Paula formerly known as Paul before the sex change operation returns to the firehouse and has to try harder than ever to fit in with the Guys. Smitty and Ben get reprimanded by Sammy for their recent behavior on a fire call and Smitty continues to plead his case on why they should all be getting paid to be heroes.
WTOP Radio’s Mark Segraves uncovered a 911 call from the January 26th storm in the District of Columbia that you should take the time to listen to in its entirety. In it, the caller, Ellie Cossa, very patiently tries to direct the call taker for 14 minutes to get help to west bound Military Road between Beach Drive and 16th Street in Northwest Washington. That’s where a tree crushed a pick-up truck, killing a man and injuring a woman. This was Cossa’s second call to 911.
What happens in this call speaks directly to a recent conversation in our comments section at STATter911.com about Computer Aided Dispatch and the training of call takers and dispatchers. Despite a sign on Miltary Road pointing to Beach Drive, technically those two roads don’t intersect. So the call taker could not find it in the computer.
Why can’t a call taker see what anyone with a Google Map can see? Is that a glitch in the system?
The roadways actually are connected via Joyce Road and Ross Drive. But Military Road goes over top Beach Drive traveling through Rock Creek Park. This is not some small thoroughfare in the District of Columbia. It is a major commuter route.
Ms. Cossa described the location well. Even providing a landmark (a golf course sign) and another major cross street to the east, 16th Street. Somehow, even after consulting the United States Park Police, no one could comprehend or immediately dispatch help to west bound Military Road between 16th Street and Beach Drive, NW. I am willing to bet that almost 100 percent of the firefighters and EMS personnel in the District of Columbia, from the fire chief on down, could be given that location and would have found the wreck instantly. Same with the police officers of the city.
Mark Segraves reports the 911 director believes the call taker did a good job and that this was a glitch in the system that will be corrected by new software.
With all due respect, I say bull!
What the motorist sees. Click the image for the Google Maps Street View tour.
This is a training issue. I give credit to the 911 call taker for staying calm and with Ms. Cossa and not showing any attitude or frustration. But is it too much to expect that a call taker or a dispatcher, or someone in the United States Park police, know a major thoroughfare like Military Road?
Even if they didn’t know this information couldn’t someone have listened to what Ms. Cossa clearly said, looked at a map and figured out that Military Road goes over top of Beach Drive? Any of us could use our phone or computer and have found out this information. Why can’t 911?
This isn’t a problem just in the District of Columbia. 911 centers all over the country have dealt with similar issues. The professionals in the business (and I used to be one before there was CAD) who I’ve talked with previously about this issue, agree this is about proper training.
But it isn’t just 911. It’s a problem throughout our digital lifestyle. It could be the food service industry, a department store or even the news business. If all we expect of people to know about their jobs is what’s on the computer screen in front of them, then we have failed.
Emergency services must have people who know their jobs (and in the case of 911, it’s knowing the community’s roads and landmarks) and can think for themselves when the flickering screen does not provide the answer.
I am heading to Virginia Beach for the weekend and will be the one causing a great deal of indigestion during Sunday morning’s breakfast meeting at the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association Mid Atlantic Expo 2011. Fire Rescue TV’s Martin Grube beat me there (but then again he’s always there) and has this little video preview for you. Enjoy. Hope to see you.
The LAPD made it clear yesterday that arson has been ruled out in the fire last week that killed Firefighter Glenn Allen. But the circumstances surrounding the death of the 61-year-old Los Angeles firefighter’s death are still a part of an investigation that involves homicide detectives. The home is considered a crime scene with police on the scene around the clock.
News reports indicate that one angle being explored is the role the construction of the 12,500-square-foot home played in this tragedy. The home was to be the backdrop for a German reality TV show starring Heidi Klum similar to ”America’s Next Top Model”.
Sources told The Times that there is no evidence that the fire was intentionally set, but investigators are trying to determine whether the recently rebuilt house was constructed properly and in a sound and legal manner.
The fire appears to have started near a fireplace and then extended into the attic, according to L.A. City Fire Deputy Chief Mario Rueda.
Officials say arson is not a factor and apparently a plastic line in the home’s sprinkler system burned through and filled the ceiling with water.
The LAPD’s robbery-homicide division is now in charge of the investigation, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Building and Safety Department and the L.A. Fire Department.
“The city of Los Angeles has stringent building codes, and those building codes are made not only to protect residents, but also to protect our firefighters,” LAPD Chief Charlie Beck told KTLA. “So we’re looking into what exactly was the situation at that house.”
One community activist has already moved ahead to the next step and written a column considering the possibility that corners were cut to provide yet more mind numbing television. Click here for that opinion.
As news about the direction of the investigation broke, people gathered for a vigil last night at Fire Station 78 in Studio City to honor Firefighter Glenn Allen. That story is below. Firefighter Allen will be buried later today.
Gil Taylor, President IAFF Local 1717: “The union believes at this point that Mr. Doherty has been unfairly targeted and that the termination is improper.”
That support comes with a candid acknowledgment about the 17-year department veteran also known for his charitable works.
“He’s recently run a fundraiser to obtain funds to be able to build a ramp for a local handicapped child to gain access to the beach. but he is very vocal. if he doesn’t think something is right, you can’t shut him up. ”
In it (the Facebook postings), he allegedly railed against the police officer over some incident, angrily carried on about being forced to work on the Fourth of July holiday and made a homosexual slur.
Taylor: “He was exercising his First Amendment right to state that he thought he was being treated poorly by these individuals or didn’t like the way they were doing things.”
But town Administrator Thomas Guerino issued a statement Wednesday saying in part — by publicly disparaging and ridiculing the lieutenant and then sergeant (and now police chief), Firefigher Doherty imperiled the link that must bind fire and police personnel. This conduct undermines the ability to serve the public and undercuts public confidence in the town’s ability to provide these services.
Three children are dead and four others are hospitalized after fire broke out at a home day care facility in Houston, Texas. An assistant fire chief told reporters that 22-year-old Jessica Tata, the operator of the facility, was was the only adult overseeing the children at the time of the fire. This apparently is in violation of state regulations.
HFD Executive Assistant Chief Rick Flanagan said CPR was being performed on four of the children as they were being taken to a hospital. The ages of the children range from 18 months to 3 years.
Late this afternoon, Tata was taken by ambulance to a hospital. Flanagan said she may have experience increased anxiety.
A witness who lives on the block, Michael McAndrews, 50, said Tata was outside the facility during the fire frantically exclaiming, “My kids, my kids, pray for them.”
McAndrews said Tata stated she went to the bathroom at the facility and when she came out the kitchen was on fire.
Five of the children were trapped inside the facility and were rescued by Houston firefighters, while the other two children were found outside the home.
A year ago today, the operation, registered as a “child-care home,” was cited by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services’ Child Care Licensing division for not having a fire extinguisher on hand.
While Firefighter/Paramedic Darrell Wallace is serving our country in Afghanistan, his union and the City of Lancaster, Ohio are doing battle over Wallace’s salary. At issue is about $4500 in deployment pay that K.J. Watts, fifth district vice president for the Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters (OAPFF), believes is due Wallace. Darrell Wallace is a Navy medic assigned to a Marine unit during his year-long deployment.
In 2010, state lawmakers passed House Bill 449 which increased from 176 hours to 408 the number of hours a municipality must pay firefighters and emergency medical technicians per year when deployed.
While Lancaster firefighters negotiated 230 hours in their 2008 contract, the union believed the city would honor the new state law.
Instead, city leaders cited a 1980 Ohio Supreme Court ruling that mandated a municipality’s “constitutional home-rule authority regarding military leave of its employees prevails over conflicting state law.”
Wallace’s 2011 military pay from the city ran out in January, Watts said. He was paid for 230 hours — about $5,800 — instead of 176 hours because the union bargained for more time for military leave in 2008. But Watts said the new state law should supercede the lower number of hours provided in the contract.
“I haven’t really heard of a big push back against this law,” said Jim Carney, director of governmental affairs for the OAPFF. “I’m fairly surprised a city would be opposed to helping out someone who’s serving our country.”
If the city does not pay Wallace for the additional time, the union likely will take the issue to court, Watts said.
Rudy’s Auto Repair Shop on East Fulton Avenue in Farmingdale, New York was destroyed by fire yesterday afternoon. The short video above appears to be just before the arrival of firefighters (here’s an early photo). The one below is from a citizen journalist in action. The narration is well worth the price of admission. My favorite part is at about 9:25 when the photojournalist snags an exclusive interiew with local law enforcement.
Ed Gray was on the scene last Tuesday in Mt. Vernon, New York where both the Mt. Vernon Fire Department and FDNY were dispatched to this fire on the border between the two jurisdictions. Firefighting News has the details of this windy fire.
The initial fire building starting coming down in pieces. You can hear command calling out specific units to get away from the building.
Ed Gray poasted his video from the fire early last Thursday morning on North 6th Street that killed a little girl and crtitically injured her brother. Here’s some details from nj.com:
Miguel Frias, 5, was stable when he was moved from the intensive care unit to the pediatric unit at the Saint Barnabas Medical Center’s burn unit in Livingston about midday today, a friend of the children’s father said.
His 3-year-old sister, Aimee Luna, died after the fire that began in the living room of the second floor eventually engulfed most of the three-story row house on the 200 block of N. 6th Street. The fire also injured nine other people, fire department spokesman Capt. John Brown said.
Even before the pre-dawn house fires Saturday morning in neighboring Prince George’s County, DC firefighters dealt with the high winds during a house fire Friday evening in the 2800 block of Channing Street in Northeast. The video above is from DC Fire & EMS Department photographer Vito Maggiolo. The picture below is from Elliot J. Goodman. Elliot reports on DCFD.com:
The fire which was mainly in the rear of the home extended to the second floor and through the roof.
A working fire dispatch was sounded and the fire placed under control quickly.
Previous coverage of Saturday’s fires here and here
Yesterday evening, Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department Acting Chief Marc Bashoor sent an email to his department thanking the firefighters, EMTs, paramedics and support personnel for the hard work as they handled the large number of fires during the high winds over the week. Chief Bashoor wrote, in part:
Whether you were at the EOC with me, or on any of the dozen or more incident scenes, or providing staffing at a firehouse or perimeter post, or providing care and comfort for our people; whether you are a command officer, police officer, firefighter, EMT, paramedic, dispatcher, civilian, administrative, paid or volunteer: THANK YOU for a job well done.
Besides the thanks, Chief Bashoor encourages “all company officers to immediately hold hot-wash after action reviews (AAR) with your crews” and writes that “the Department will schedule a series of officer level AAR’s in the coming week.”
You can click above to read the entire email. The beginning of the message is below and gives a brief rundown of the events:
The wind and fire events of the past 36 hours have been unprecedented and truly historic for the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department.
At the height of events, the PGFD had nearly 600 Fire/EMS personnel engaged in operational or support activities from one end of the County to the other, and everywhere in between.
This included nearly 90 mutual aide personnel from the District of Columbia, the Maryland Counties of; Queen Anne, Cecil, Carroll, Caroline, Washington, Charles, St Mary’s, Calvert, Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery, and Baltimore City, the Virginia jurisdictions of; Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax, along with private tankers from the state of West Virginia.
During this period nearly 900 calls for service were received by Public Safety Communications (PSC), with incoming equipment distributed to a Northern Area Command and a Southern Area Command for deployment.
As incident after incident overwhelmed available resources, and for the first time in recent memory, a full 1/3 of the career force was recalled to duty in three stages.
Audio from mayday at FDNY 5th-alarm in Brooklyn. Union says staffing cuts played a role in fire. FDNY says it was the wind & an open door: This is the fire that broke out during high winds Saturday evening in a 70-unit, six-story apartment building. It left a resident dead and injured 20 firefighters. One of the firefighters, who was burned, was rescued by other firefighters during a mayday. Firegeezer.com has coverage of this fire. Uniformed Firefighters Association President Steve Cassidy believes crews were hampered by the recent removal of one firefighter from 60 FDNY engine companies. From WINS Radio – Cassidy claims that because the first unit to arrive on the scene Saturday had one less firefighter, “it took [the crew] five minutes longer to get water on the fire.” An FDNY statement gives a different view, “Contrary to the UFA’s statement, it was the open door problem – greatly exacerbated by severe winds – that fueled this fire into an unstoppable conflagration … “.
It was windy here too: The high winds hitting the East Coast kept firefighters busy. Prince George’s County, Maryland was so busy it received mutual aid from across the Chesapeake Bay and Western Maryland. We have lots of videos and details, including arrival video of two burning homes in College Park. Click here and here for our coverage.
The wind helped keep Baltimore County busy: Besides brush fire, since Friday there have been a significant number of muli-alarm structure fires in Baltimore County. One of those was a third-alarm commerical fire on Pulaski Highway on Saturday. Check out Michael Schwartzberg’s video on this one.
Early video from Loudoun County, Virginia house fire: A house fire on Friday in the Broadlands community. Click here.
It’s Not My Emergency: I have mentioned this before, but if you are interested in how social media and public safety interact you need to be reading Chief Bill Boyd’s blog, It’s Not My Emergency. I’ve been playing catch up on the thoughts of the fire chief from Bellingham, Washington. It’s well worth your time.
Unfortunately it was HIS emergency: In Conesus, New York, Lt. Jim Wood didn’t realize at first the fire he was responding to was in his own home. He soon found out. His family was not home when the fire broke out. Click here for that story.
Fighting a house fire from the shoulder of Interstate 85: That was the case in McAdenville, North Carolina (Gaston County). The back of the burning home was next to the highway. Here’s the story.
Cop and fire chief charged with arson, but only one person was arrested: A little riddle to start the week. Late last week Morris County, New Jersey officials held a press conference to say a Morris County Sheriff’s officer and the assistant chief of the District 5 VFD in Parsippany are accused of arson. Actually it is just one person, 33-year-old Jason Campbell, who fills both roles. The house fires were in 2008 and 2010 and the case was cracked as part of an undercover investigation and the use of a confidential informant. Other fires are being looked at. Read more.
The antique of the week on Glenn Usdin’s FireTruckBlog.comis plural. It’s a video from a Lynnfield, Massachusetts parade. Click here to see it. Plus, Glenn has the details on the report from the rollover last November of San Antonio’s Ladder 35. Check it out.
The high winds in Maryland on Saturday took its toll at a building fire in Baltimore County. The video above was shot by Michael “FirePix1075” Schwartzberg at a bail bond business on Pulaski Highway. Here’s Michael’s description of the fire:
Around 2 p.m. Saturday, February 19, Baltimore County firefighters were dispatched to Fire Box 16-9, reporting a fire in Strong Arm Bail Bonds, located at 8555 Pulaski Highway. Firefighters from the Golden Ring station — Engine 16 – arrived first on the scene and reported smoke showing from a 1 story commercial building. Firefighters attempted to make an interior attack but the heavy smoke and flames, combined with strong winds, forced crews to evacuate the building and make an exterior attack. The bail bonds occupancy and the adjoining Bed World were destroyed as a result of the fire.
Above is video from the 6:00 AM fire at 8402 Potomac Avenue in College Park we told you about yesterday. The video was recorded by a College Park VFD ride-along.
After a long day yesterday, Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department PIO Mark Brady started the day with a run down of the significant wind driven fires that provided the department with one of the busiest days in its history. Below is Brady’s press release and pictures:
The Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department experienced one of the busiest days in the Departments history due to high winds and dry conditions that resulted in hundreds of brush fires and structure fires. Numerous personnel have been operating at several “hot spots” overnight and into this morning. These locations include Chalk Point, Laurel and Piscataway. The fires are 90% contained and should be near extinguishment today. It is safe to say that Saturday, February 19, 2011, will be remembered as one of the busiest days in our history. The Fire/EMS Department recalled off-duty firefighters to report to work; the last time this was done was September 11, 2001. Fire/EMS Department Public Safety Communications handled 821 calls for service yesterday; a normal day average is about 350 calls. Firefighters were summoned from throughout the state and the District of Columbia to assist on incidents (a complete list of mutual aid jurisdictions is listed below). Of all the homes damaged during this wind/fire event, it is estimated that $1 million + in fire loss occurred. Another estimated $1 million + in fire loss occurred to commercial property.
Photo by PGFD’s Mark Brady showing Engine 841 in position at the Van Dusen Road fire. The crew eventually had to abandon this spot, bringing the rig to safety but losing hose. At the Chalk Point Road fire BR 836 was destroyed by the fire.
There were seven “significant” incidents that occurred yesterday:
…6 am – 8400 block of Potomac Avenue in College Park – House Fire & multiple outbuildings/Brush Fire. Family Helped by Citizens Services Unit. Event closed out at 9:30 am.
…9:30 am – Chalk Point Road, Baden – 60 Acre Brush Fire. 100 firefighters, 1 Brush Vehicle burned up in this event, 1 firefighter suffered from heat exhaustion, units operated throughout the night.
…10:59 am – 5400 block of Van Dusen Road, Beltsville/Laurel – 300 Acre Brush/Mulch Fire. 100+ firefighters, 90% contained, units operated throughout the overnight, potential for a multiple day event. Interstate 95 was closed for 4 hours due to smoke and adjacent land areas burning. Two firefighters suffered non-serious injuries during this event.
Mark Brady photo from Piscataway Road. We haven’t seen much in the way of video or pictures from this fire. It apparently did the most property damage and received the least amount of news coverage.
…11:42 am – 11900 through the 12200 block of Piscataway Road in Clinton – 250 Acre Brush/House Fire, 2 homes, 5 + outbuildings and 5 abandoned farm homes. One family assisted by Citizen Services Unit. 150 firefighters, 90% contained, units operated overnight and will continue today, potential multiple day event.
…1:06 pm – Queen Anne Road in Bowie- 15 Acre Brush Fire
…4:18 pm – 5100 block of Decatur Street, Bladensburg – 2 house fires, 2 families displaced, assisted by Citizens Services Unit
There are firefighters operating in Prince George’s County from all of our routine Mutual Aide Counties, including all of our contiguous jurisdictions, as well as through assistance coordinated by the County Emergency Operations Center and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, from:
- St Mary’s County MD
- Calvert County MD
- Charles County MD
- Anne Arundel County MD
- Montgomery County MD
- Baltimore City MD
- Arlington County VA
- Alexandria City VA
- Fairfax County VA
- Washington DC
- Washington County MD
- Carroll County MD
- Cecil County MD
- Caroline County MD
- Queen Anne County MD
- Natural Resources
Another Brady photo. From Piscataway Road and Windbrook Drive.
The Emergency Operations Center in Landover Hills, was activated and was staffed with personnel from County Police, Fire/EMS, Central Services, Public Works, Emergency Management, Red Cross, Public Safety Communications, Homeland Security, and the County Executives Office.
There will continue to be smoke and odors from all of these fires for days. Citizens should keep their windows closed, and if they are sensitive to smoke, avoid areas impacted by these events.
Some roadways may become blocked from time to time as hoselines are stretched across roads. We did not officially evacuate anyone, nor prohibit them from returning to their homes, however people were not able to physically drive to their homes. We did close the Ice House in Beltsville/Laurel, due to the hazardous smoke and travel conditions.
Interstate 95 was closed in both directions in Laurel for approximately 4 hours.
Since early this morning the area around your Nation’s Capital has been hit hard with winds, sparking numerous brush fires and threatening and burning some homes. Fires are still burning. We will add info to this entry over the next couple of hours. In the meantime you can listen live to some of the area departments.
The winds toppled the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse in Washington, DC.
Prince George’s County ordered the call back of career personnel to handle the numerous large fires. Two of the largest fires are at opposite ends of the county. One is in the Beltsville area along the 5400 block of Van Dusen Road. It forced the shut down of part of the adjacent I-95. Another fire still burning out of control along Piscataway Road. It has required mutual aid from Arlington County, Fairfax County and the City of Alexandria in Virginia. Maryland units are assisting PGFD from as far away as Baltimore City and Caroline and Queen Anne’s Counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore (about 65 miles)..
The fires moved so fast that a brush unit from Baden VFD was burned and a pumper from Belstville had to be quickly moved.
North of the Washington area, Baltimore County has been dealing with a number of multi-alarm building fires since last night, plus numerous brush fires today.
I-95 was also closed for a while in the Dale City area of Prince William County due to a fire near the rest stop. See the picture above.
The morning started in Prince George’s County with a hint as to what was to come with the fire above (video provided by Firefighter Close Calls) at 8400 Potomac Avenue in the College Park area. Here is info from PGFD’s Mark Brady:
Firefighters were alerted around 6:00 am, Saturday, February 19, 2011, to a house fire in the 8400 block of Potomac Avenue. Upon arrival firefighters were met with a challenging scene involving a 2-story wood frame home fully involved with fire, rapid wind driven extension to homes on either side, two sheds on fire in back yards and a natural gas fire on the exterior of one of the neighbors houses.
With high winds and rapid extension with additional structures in imminent danger; the Incident Commander requested a Second Alarm, bringing additional firefighters and resources to the scene.
It required nearly an hour for the bulk of the fire to be extinguished and another 2 hours to completely extinguish the fire in the house of origin. Firefighters kept the exterior natural gas fire in check and were able to extinguish that fire after Washington Gas Company workers shut off the natural gas main at about 8:30 am.
Late morning, at the far south end of Prince George’s County, a brush fire was reported near the Chalk Point Power Plant. I believe this is the fire that damaged Baden’s BR 36, a 1964 Ford.
Not too long after that, a fire that has required a lot of resources through the day was reported in the Beltsville area along the 5400 block of Van Dusen Road. This is the fire just west of I-95. It caused major traffic problems along the highway. The video above is some of the smoke from that fire that I shot while in the area this afternoon. Below are details from Brady released at 1:49 PM:
The largest incident involves about 100 acres of 30 foot high piles of mulch. The brush fire has extended about 2 miles over to Interstate 95. This fire has been burning since 12 noon and is still considered out of control.
In the video above a driver shows conditions on I-95 South near the Beltsville fire. The most interesting part is around 7:20 as Foam Unit 812 from College Park responds to a fire in the median strip of the highway.
Brady also announced a cancellation because of the fire. The event was to be hold where the initial staging area was located:
The Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department has been forced to require the cancellation of the charity ice hockey event at the Ice House on Old Gunpowder Road.
This event was a game between Washington Capitals Alumni and public safety officers.
Also on the north end PGFD had a fire at Laurel Mall (short clip above). Brady reports during the 2:00 PM hour, “firefighters arrived at the Burlington Coat Factory, 14700 Baltimore Avenue, with a fire that appears to have started in a dumpster outside the building. The high winds blew the fire into the loading docks and inside the building.”
The picture above, courtesy of Firefighter Close Calls, is from a fire on Decatur Street and shows what PGFD and other departments have been dealing with today.
The other major fire tapping the region’s resources is along Piscataway Road between Clinton and Fort Washington. That battle began when a battalion chief rolled up on a couple of old structures burning on Gallahan Road. Here is Brady’s report at 4:46 PM:
A brush fire that appears to have started at a farm on Gallahan Road spread quickly driven by high winds. The fire damaged as many as 20 structures that include homes (some abandoned), sheds and barns. This incident escalated quickly to a third alarm with about 30 pieces of fire apparatus on location with about 120 firefighters working to extinguish the fires.
Damage to occupied homes are minor to moderate. No civilian or firefighter injuries have been reported.
Command post is set up at Piscataway Road and Windbrook Drive.
Below are news reports from around the region on the fires and high winds from WJLA-TV:
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