Tag Archives: Maryland

Residential, Single Family Home

Lexington Park, MD – Sprinkler system activated for residential fire; No injuries reported

On Wednesday, July 28, 2021, at 4:34 a.m., firefighters from the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department were alerted to 22278 Scott Circle in Lexington Park, for the residential fire alarm.

Dispatchers received a 911 call from the alarm company reporting a 1st floor smoke detector sounding. Less than 2 minutes later, the resident called 911 reporting the house was on fire.

The assignment was then upgraded to a structure fire, bringing firefighters from Bay District, NAS Patuxent River, and Hollywood to the scene.

Crews arrived on the scene to find a two-story residence with smoke showing.

Upon further investigation, firefighters located and extinguished a small fire in a closet.

Firefighters checked for extensions and searched the residence which yielded negative results.

The Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal responded to the scene to continue the investigation.

Preliminary investigation revealed the residents were alerted to the fire by the smoke detectors in the home, the resident discovered the fire and called 911.

Officials want to continue the importance of citizens replacing smoke detectors yearly and making sure they work properly. The smoke detectors and residential sprinkler system were both present and activated, with the sprinkler system controlling the fire until the arrival of fire department personnel.

The owner is identified as Ronald Flowers, with the estimated loss of structure and contents valued at $11,000.00

No injuries were reported.

The American Red Cross was requested for three adults and one child.

Anyone with any information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Southern Regional Office, at 443-550-6831.

Apartment Building, Residential

Williamsport, MD – Apartment fire extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A five-year-old playing with a lighter caused an apartment fire in Williamsport on Wednesday afternoon.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office says fire fighters were dispatched to  11339 CiCi Way just after 5:30 PM. . When they arrived, they found the fire had been contained and was extinguished by the sprinkler system. No one was hurt.

Damage is estimated at $1,000 to the structure, and $2,000 to the contents. .

Investigators says the fire started when the child playing with a lighter in a closet ignited some clothes on the floor. The heat from the fire activated the sprinkler head in child’s bedroom.

The Fire Marshal’s Office says 30 fire fighters responded to this fire call.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Rossville, MD – Fire sprinklers extinguish utility room fire at medical center; No injuries reported

A fire in a utility room at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center was quickly extinguished, Baltimore County fire officials said.

Fire officials said firefighters were called around 3:09 p.m. for a fire on the third floor of the hospital in Rossville.

Fire officials said the hospital alarm system sounded and as firefighters were en route, the sprinkler system activated. Officials said firefighters found heavy smoke on the third floor and it took about 45 minutes to put out the fire.

“They were able to make quick extinguishment of the fire, the sprinklers were activated. They were able to contact that very quickly. They were working to shelter patients in place,” Baltimore County fire Capt. Len Stewart said.

Patients at the hospital were sheltered in place as fire crews worked on ventilating the facility. No injuries were reported, officials said.

“We had a fire in one of our inpatient units. It looks like it originated in one of our utility rooms, storage rooms. (I’m) delighted to say that the first responders did a magnificent job to put the fire out, patients were moved laterally as per our plans, no patients were hurt, no staff were injured, thank goodness. The fire’s out and we are cleaning up and looking to get back to full operations,” said Stuart Levine, president of MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center.

Levine told 11 News that the floor affected by the fire was where some COVID-19 patients were being treated. They have been moved to other areas at the hospital.

Firefighters said there was water damage on the second floor.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Easton, MD – Fire sprinklers contains fire to exterior loading dock of commercial building; No injuries reported

Authorities say several people were able to escape a late Wednesday night fire that caused a combined half a million dollars in damage to a commercial building in Easton.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office said the blaze broke out shortly after 10 p.m. at Adams Publishing Group (APG) Media of Chesapeake LLC, located at 29088 Airpark Drive. 

It took 42 firefighters from the Easton Volunteer Fire Department and assisting companies approximately an hour to get the fire under control. 

The fire caused an estimated $50,000 in damage to the structure and another $450,000 in damage to its contents. There were no reported injuries. 

The building’s smoke alarm was present and activated. Additionally, its fire alarm and fire sprinkler system were present and activated. 

Deputy state fire marshals said the fire was contained to the exterior loading dock area of the commercial building. Several employees were working inside of the building at the time of the fire, who were able to evacuate the building after the fire alarm activation.

Anyone with information pertaining to the fire is asked to contact the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Upper Eastern Region Office at 410-822-7609.

Apartment Building, Residential

Lexington Park, MD – Stove fire at apartment controlled by fire sprinkler; No injuries reported

On Sunday, June 14, 2020, at approximately 5:10 a.m., police responded to the 21200 block of Lexwood Drive in Lexington Park, for the reported suicidal subject.

Police arrived on the scene to investigate the apartment and found the adult male was no longer on the scene. Police made contact with the subjects family and started a search in the area for the subject who left on foot. Three Deputies stood by at the apartment to secure the residence.

A short time later, police requested the fire department due to multiple fire/smoke alarms going off inside the apartment. Two minutes after the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department was alerted for a commercial fire alarm, firefighters from Bay District, NAS Patuxent River, and Valley Lee were alerted for the now reported structure fire.

Police investigated the apartment after the smoke alarms went off, and observed the oven was turned on and set to 500 degrees with the apartment filling with smoke. Deputies started evacuating the residence and nearby neighbors for safety, and waited for the arrival of firefighters.

13 firefighters from Bay District and NAS Patuxent River responded and arrived on the scene within minutes of dispatch to find a two story apartment building with nothing evident, firefighters found an extinguished fire on the oven that was contained by sprinkler systems, and an active fire in the oven. Firefighters removed the oven from the apartment and found personal and miscellaneous items on the over, and batteries in the oven.

No injuries were reported.

Officers located the subject a short time later in Lexington Park and placed the subject in custody where he was then transported to an area hospital with no known injuries.

The Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal was requested to the scene.

Apartment Building, Hotel / Restaurant, Residential, Restaurant

Ocean City, MD – Two separate fires within a week extinguished by sprinkler system, one at a restaurant, the other an apartment

The Ocean City Fire Department responded to two separate fires in a downtown restaurant and apartment building over the course of the last week.

The first fire happened late last week in the early morning hours of June 5th, at Flavors of Italy Bistro, located at 513 Atlantic Avenue. Ocean City firefighters forced entry into the building, discovering that the fire sprinkler had activated in the kitchen area and extinguished the fire. Damage was contained to the appliance and adjacent kitchen hood.

The second fire happened just before 3 p.m. on June 8th, at the Trimper’s Apartments in the 700 block of the Ocean City Boardwalk. Firefighters arrived on scene and found smoke on the second floor of the apartment, but on entry they discovered that an activated fire sprinkler had extinguished the fire. Damage was contained to a small area above the stove.

As a result of the quick response of the fire sprinklers and the fire department, the restaurant and apartment building did not sustain serious damage. Both fires have been ruled accidental.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Fallston, MD – Single sprinkler head knocks down fire in staff lounge at middle school; No injuries reported

Crews responded to a fire alarm that activated overnight at Fallston Middle School.

At just after 4:15 a.m. on Thursday, crews from the Fallston Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Company were dispatched to the school, which is located at 2303 Carrs Mill Road, for an automatic fire alarm activation.

Upon entering the area indicated on the alarm panel, firefighters found a single automatic sprinkler had activated and there was light smoke in the room, which was a staff lounge area that also contained IT servers.

An electric floor fan had been placed in the room to maintain air flow to assist in cooling the room. The fan malfunctioned and ignited directly below a sprinkler head, which activated extinguishing the fire and activating the fire alarm, thereby limiting the damage to the school building.

The fire was extinguished and the scene was cleared by 5:30 a.m.

No injuries were reported.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Bel Air, MD – Supply room fire at senior living center kept in check by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Monday evening, Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company was called to the Brightview Senior Living Center for a reported fire.

When Firefighters arrived at the scene, they saw damage from a fire in the supply room.

The fire was kept in check by one fire sprinkler, preventing the fire from spreading.

The Department of State Fire Marshal determined an electrical outlet failed, igniting combustibles.

No injuries were reported at this time.

Residential, Single Family Home

Taneytown, MD – Fire sprinklers keep fire contained to garage after fire pit ashes are incorrectly discarded

A house fire caused by fire pit ashes displaced two Taneytown residents after their garage caught fire in the 200 block of Colbert Street on Sunday night, according to fire officials.

The homeowner was alone in the house when a smoke detector alerted him to the fire, according to Mike Glass, public information officer for Taneytown fire company. The other resident was away at the time, he said. The Office of the State Fire Marshal identified the owner as Alan Sadowski.

Six fire companies responded after the initial call went out at about 8:54 p.m., Glass said, and those first on scene said there was a large fire in the attached garage. A sprinkler system in the house kept the fire mostly contained to the garage, but flames spread to the second floor of the single-family home where the bedrooms are, he said. Fire apparatus returned from the scene at approximately 11 p.m.

Improperly discarded ashes were the cause of the accidental fire, according to a news release from the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Apartment Building, Residential

Salisbury, MD – Sprinkler system controls apartment fire intentionally set by tenant; No injuries reported

The Maryland State Fire Marshal says a Salisbury man has been charged with intentionally setting a fire at his apartment Friday night. 

According to the fire marshal’s office, crews with the Salisbury Fire Department responded to an automatic fire alarm call shortly before 11:30 p.m. at the Pine Bluff Village Apartments on Riverside Drive. While on their way, officials say the call was upgraded to a building fire.

Once on scene, crews says people were already evacuating. The fire was in a second floor apartment, being controlled by the building’s automatic fire sprinkler system. It took about 45 minutes to bring the fire under control.

The fire marshal’s office arrived on scene, and crews said they determined it was incendiary. Investigations determined the tenant was responsible for setting the fire in the apartment.

The Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office arrested 38-year-old Alan Jackson Banks III at a nearby convenience store. Banks was charged with first-degree arson and reckless endangerment. 

There were no reported injuries.