Firefighter Assigned to Morningside Station Seriously Injured at 3 Alarm Fire

A firefighter is reported in serious condition at the burn unit at the Washington Hospital Center. The firefighter was injured during the three alarm fire on Donnell Place . Click here to see our story from the scene.

I am told he is a career firefighter assigned to Station 27, Morningside. The three year member of PGFD was injured about the same time the evacuation of the building was ordered so firefighters could begin an exterior attack. The firefighter is apparently being treated for possible respiratory burns. According to spokesman Mark Brady, Chief Lawrence Sedgwick is at WHC.

The pictures above were posted by “rescue goes” on thewatchdesk.com . Also, there is a pretty good run down of the units dispatched and some details about the fireground operation on thewatchdesk.com.

There are more pictures on the Ritchie VFD website of fire coming out of the balconies on all 4 levels of the garden apartment building.

Here is what Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Chief Spokesman Mark Brady wrote in his press release from 4:30 A.M.:

Just after midnight, Wednesday, May 30, 2007, Prince George’s County Firefighters from the Forestville and surrounding communities were alerted to a building fire in the Holly Hill Condominiums. Firefighters and Paramedics responded to 7109 Donnell Place and arrived quickly to find heavy fire conditions in the 3-story front/4-story rear garden style condominium building. The fire rapidly advanced and forced firefighters to evacuate the interior of the building and fight the fire in a defensive exterior position. As many as 100 firefighters, paramedics, command officers and support personnel worked for nearly an hour to knock down the bulk of the fire. An adult male civilian was transported to an area hospital with an ankle injury and a firefighter sustained burn injuries and is currently in serious condition at a nearby Burn Unit. There will be four buildings displaced as a result of the fire; the County Office of Emergency Management is currently assisting those displaced. The fire appears to have started on the terrace level and the cause is under investigation. Estimated fire loss is still being calculated