Tag Archives: Maryland

A neighbor of the occupant heard a smoke alarm and later discovered the occupant inside her apartment with heavy smoke, fire officials said. Another neighbor assisted her out of the apartment.

Neighbors exited their units after the fire alarm sounded, according to fire officials. One fire sprinkler activated and contained the fire within and around the microwave in the unit with minimal fire damage.

Water damage affected two units, including the unit of origin and the unit directly below, fire officials said.

Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray stated, “Residential fire sprinklers are proven to save lives, prevent injuries, and protect property and valuables. This is yet another example of how the presence of an automatic fire sprinkler system protected occupants and prevented substantial fire damage to residential property.”

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Bowie, MD – Sprinkler system activated for fire at condo building; No injuries reported

March 30, 2024 viking210

Four residents and multiple dogs had to be rescued from a burning condo building in Prince George’s County on Monday afternoon.

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.

Residential, Single Family Home

California, MD – Sprinkler system contains fire in 2-story single family residence

January 23, 2024 viking210

On Friday, January 19, 2024, at approximately 11:05 a.m., firefighters from Bay District, NAS Patuxent River, and Hollywood responded to the 43000 block of Sweetbay Street in California, for the reported basement fire in a residence.

Crews arrived on the scene to find a 2-story single-family residence with smoke coming from the front door.

Firefighters entered and located fire in a utility room, which was being contained by a sprinkler system. Personnel extinguished the remaining fire and secured utilities to the residence and found no extensions.

Preliminary investigation by firefighters suggest that the fire was caused by a Lithium-Ion battery that was in the process of charging.

No injuries were reported and the occupants were not displaced by the fire.

This is the 2nd fire this month for our St. Mary’s County firefighters responding to a house fire caused by a charging Lithium Ion battery.

Residential, Single Family Home

Largo, MD – Residential sprinkler system activated for early morning house fire

January 13, 2024 viking210

Three people are without a home early Tuesday morning after a large fire in Upper Marlboro.

Firefighters with the Prince George’s County Fire and EMS Department responded to Water Fowl Way, off of Watkins Park Drive, around 4:45 a.m. after a report of a house fire in the area. Through an initial investigation, it was determined that the fire in the garage spread to the roof area of the home.

Three people were inside the home at the time of the fire and were alerted to the blaze by smoke alarms. The residential sprinkler system also activated and helped to minimize the spread of the fire in the living areas.

The house fire left three people displaced, but none of the residents were injured. One firefighter was taken to the hospital to be checked out after working the fire.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Salisbury, MD – Sprinkler system controls fire at hospital

December 21, 2023 viking210

An early morning fire at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional has been ruled accidental.

The fire was reported at around 1:25 a.m., in an Environmental Services Storage Closet. Crews were able to control the blaze in just over 20 minutes.

Maryland State Fire Marshals say the fire involved an electric vacuum cleaner attached to the wall and was caused by the failure of a lithium-ion battery. The incident reportedly took place in an employee-only area and was controlled by the automatic sprinkler system. No patients were displaced or required evacuation, and hospital operations were not affected. The sprinkler and alarm system were placed back in service.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Baltimore, MD – Sprinkler system activated for accidental fire at high school

July 9, 2023 viking210

A fire damaged a classroom at an Eastern Shore high school early Wednesday, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The fire started at Easton High School after custodial workers “inadvertently” activated a stove-top burner, fire officials said.

The custodians were moving items out of a classroom and, at one point, placed electronic equipment on the burner, which is what activated the burner, according to authorities.

That’s what started the fire, fire officials said.

Moments later, the fire alarm activated and alerted staff to the fire, according to authorities.

A sprinkler head was activated and suppressed the flames, fire officials said.

The fire required 58 firefighters and was under control within about 96 minutes, according to authorities.

All damage was contained to a single classroom, fire officials said.

The cost of the damage came to roughly $3,000, which included $500 in structural damage and $2,500 in damage to “contents,” according to authorities.

Residential, Single Family Home

Charles County, MD – Sprinkler system extinguishes arson fire in home

February 16, 2023 viking210

A Charles County man was arrested Saturday after deputies say he set a fire inside his parents’ Waldorf home, according to the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Around 10:30 p.m., Saturday deputy state fire marshals responded to the 9200 block of Misting Court after the owner believed his son had set a fire.

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office told the arriving investigators that the homeowner had been having issues with his son, 21-year-old Jordan Christopher Robinson, over the past few days and that he asked Robinson to leave the house earlier in the day.

At around 8 p.m., the homeowner received an alert on his phone for his home security cameras, where he saw Robinson enter the home, authorities said.

“He returned home and discovered Robinson had left the house and the remains of a fire inside his bedroom that the fire sprinklers had extinguished,” deputies said in a news release. Investigators credit the sprinkler system containing the fire and minimizing damage to around $6,000.

Officials said Robinson was arrested Sunday morning and was taken to a local hospital for injuries he had sustained earlier in an altercation with a family member.

After being released from the hospital, deputies said Robinson was transported to Charles County Detention Center, where he was charged with first-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning, home invasion, and malicious destruction of property over $1,000.

Residential, Single Family Home

Elkton, MD – Sprinkler system activated for fire inside home; No injuries reported

January 10, 2023 viking210

Investigators are crediting a smoke alarm and a fire sprinkler system for “saving the lives of a family” and for reducing significant property damage after a blaze broke out inside a home near Elkton early Sunday morning, according to the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal.

One of the three occupants called 911 shortly after 1 a.m. on Sunday after discovering the fire inside a bedroom at the home in the 200 block of Independence Drive, prompting area volunteer fire companies to respond, fire officials said. A smoke alarm inside that home had sounded an alert, allowing that resident to make the discovery, fire officials added.

“Upon arrival, the fire department determined the fire had been extinguished with one fire sprinkler that had activated,” an MOSFM spokesperson said, naming Singerly Volunteer Fire Company of Elkton as one of the volunteer fire companies that responded.

During their on-scene investigation, MOSFM detectives determined that a “malfunctioning oscillating fan” had triggered the blaze and then listed accidental as the cause of the fire, the spokesperson reported.

No one was injured and damage to the home was “limited to an estimated $10,000,” according to the spokesperson, who commented, “The investigation determined that the activation of only one automatic fire sprinkler prevented the fire from spreading from the bedroom into the remainder of the home.”

The spokesperson further reported that relatives are providing temporary assistance to the residents, whom he identified as one adult and two children, ages 15 and 8.

In the wake of Sunday morning’s house fire, State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci issued this statement: “Residential fire sprinklers are proven to save lives, prevent injuries and protect property and valuables. The best home fire safety practice is combining a smoke alarm, an escape plan, and a residential fire sprinkler. Today we saw the effects of this winning combination.”

Under state law, a residential fire sprinkler is required in all new one-family and two-family homes in Maryland, MOSFM officials said. In addition, Maryland law prohibits local governments from “weakening the sprinkler requirement in their jurisdiction’s building codes,” they added.

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