STATter 911

Click image above to see raw video of fire from Bill Cornett of insidegreenbelt.com

The photo above is from FirehouseGuy on thewatchdesk.com. Click the image to see more of his photos

The fire began around 2:00 PM on Friday afternoon at the Spring Hill Lake Apartments in Greenbelt, MD. It appears to have started in a ground floor apartment in quadrant B at 9336 Edmonston Road. It spread rapidly to the third floor and roof and then toward quadrant A on the third floor.

Image above is from PGFD's Mark Brady. It shows side C, quadrant B of 9336 Edmonston after crews knocked down fire on the first two floors.

Another Mark Brady photo shows Engine 811 on side A of 9336 Edmonston as fire on the third floor extends to quadrant A

PGFD Chief Spokesman Mark Brady tells STATter 911 and the video illustrates that there was no access to side C for fire apparatus. Numerous ground ladders are in place and Truck 834 is able to find a position on side D.

The video also shows the early stages of a trench cut on exposure B.

As you watch the video, at about 5:50, as the roof is burning off, you will see the collapse of a ceiling and a bit of the roof above a third floor apartment in quadrant A. An interior attack is still underway. At about 6:50 into the video, you can hear the evacuation tone, followed by the sounding of the airhorns and sirens.

Brady photo shows RIT being deployed on side A

Brady confirms a "mayday" was called during the operation. RITs were deployed and the building searched. No firefighter in distress was discovered and, so far, no one has owned up to making the transmission.

Watch report by 9NEWS NOW's Armando Trull's report

PGFD press release:

At about 2:00 PM, Friday, December 21, 2007, Firefighters and Paramedics from Berwyn Heights/Greenbelt and surrounding communities were alerted for an apartment building fire. Fire/EMS units arrived quickly at 9336 Edmonston Road in the Springhill Lake Apartment Complex and encountered a 3-story garden style apartment building with heavy smoke and fire showing from the rear of the building. Firefighters stretched hoselines and initiated an aggressive interior attack on the fire and a simultaneous search and rescue for possible trapped occupants. The fire appears to have started in a ground-floor unit and extended rapidly through the upper floors and eventually through the roof. A 2ND and 3RD Alarms were sounded dispatching 75 firefighters and paramedics to the scene. It required 45 minutes to knock the bulk of the fire down. No injuries to civilians or firefighters have been reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation and preliminary fire loss is estimated at $500,000. An adjacent building at 9338 Edmonston Road sustained significant damage as well. Displacement of 21 apartment units occupied by 60 residents is necessary. The Fire/EMS Departments Citizens Services Unit, Red Cross and apartment complex management are working with the residents to ensure temporary shelter and relief.

The Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire/EMS Department 814 will conduct a donation effort to support the displaced residents. Donations of “gift cards” from stores such as Target and Wal-Mart are being requested and will be collected and distributed by the Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire/EMS Department. Firefighters will provide the “gift cards’ to the displaced residents on Christmas Eve in an effort to provide as joyous a holiday as possible. Donated “gift cards” can be dropped off at the Berwyn Heights Fire/EMS Department at 8811 60TH Avenue or call 301-883-7714 and make arrangements for a pick-up of your donated “gift cards”.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 6:38 PM