Prince George’s County Fire and EMS first tweeted about the fire around 1:40 p.m. The fire burned through a condo building in the 15600 block of Everglade Lane in Bowie.
The fire department responded just after 1 p.m. Heavy flames were showing through a second and third floor balcony and spread to the roof.
Percy Jacobs was working on a friends apartment across the street when it happened.
“I heard a loud sound, it sounded like a gunshot,” Jacobs said. “I looked out the window and saw a man leaving. Then I saw the flames on the first floor porch, then spread to second floor, then to the third floor.”
Jacobs said he called 911, then noticed people still inside the building.
“I asked 911, ‘Should I go over there? Should I knock on doors and get people out?’ They said, ‘No, stay where you are,'” he said.
“But that is hard. It’s hard to not help when lives are in danger.”
Fire crews got to the scene within minutes.
Four residents and multiple dogs had to be rescued from two different balconies, but no injuries have been reported.
The American Red Cross is on scene to help the affected residents. As many as 12 families were seeking assistance from the Red Cross. It’s not clear if there were more people displaced who didn’t need their help.
The building was equipped with a sprinkler system.
Eighty firefighters were involved in putting out the blaze.
No other details have been released.
