STATter 911

(For more fire and EMS news from STATter 911, click here)

Photo from Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management

UPDATE: Funeral details released Wednesday evening

Date: Saturday, January 5, 11 AM
Location: St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church
118 E. Second Street
Frederick, Maryland 21701

Interment to follow at:

Resthaven Memorial Gardens
9501 Catoctin Mountain Highway (US Route 15)
Frederick, MD 21701

Space and parking is limited at the church. Therefore, any member of the media attending the funeral is asked to contact me by 3:00 PM, Friday, January 4.

Additional information will be distributed Thursday, January 3 on the service and specifics on the procession.

Earlier coverage:

At 4:30 AM Monday, Alex Keepers made the drive he did many early mornings, heading from his home in Frederick, MD, across the river, to a Loudoun County fire station. Normally a pretty and quiet ride, this morning it was treacherous.

Crossing the Potomac on Route 15 at Point of Rocks, Maryland State Police say the Jeep Cherokee driven by Keepers slid on an icy spot and crossed from the southbound lane to the northbound side. Traveling northbound at that moment, a tractor-trailer hauling logs. The truck slammed into the side of the SUV, killing the 31-year-old Keepers.

Photo by Sam Yu, Courtesy of The Frederick News-Post

Alex Keepers joined the Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management in 2002. His early years were at Arcola Fire-Rescue Station 9. Keepers was promoted to lieutenant just 6 months ago and had been assigned to Middleburg Fire-Rescue Station 3.

In a statement Chief Joseph Pozzo said: “A loss of this magnitude, affects our entire family. Alex was a valued member of our family and will be sorely missed by all who knew and worked with him”.

Alex Keepers began his firefighting career at age 17. That's when he joined the Independent Hose Company of Frederick, MD, where he remained active until his death.

He leaves behind his parents, two brothers and two sisters.

Donation information from IAFF Local 3756

The Loudoun Career Fire Fighters Association extends our deepest sympathy to Lieutenant Keepers' family.

A memorial fund has been established at the Leesburg BB&T; the name on the account is the "Loudoun Career Fire Fighters Association Alex Keepers Memorial Fund."

Please make checks payable to: LCFFA Alex Keepers Memorial Fund (acct # 153310661)

Please send checks to:
LCFFA Alex Keepers Memorial Fund
c/o BB&T Bank Leesburg
101Catoctin Circle S.E.
Leesburg, VA 20175

Press release from Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management

Loudoun County Firefighter Killed in Auto Accident

It is with deep regret that the Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management reports the passing of Lieutenant Alex John Keepers.

Around 430 AM, Monday, December 31, Keepers was involved in an automobile accident on the Point of Rocks Bridge while on his was on his way to work. Icy road conditions may have contributed to the accident, which is under investigation by the Maryland State Police.

Lt. Keepers joined the Department in January 2002 as a member of Recruit Class #6. Upon completion of the Recruit Academy in June 2002, Keepers was assigned to Arcola Fire-Rescue Station #9. Working his way up through the ranks, Keepers was promoted to Lieutenant in July 2007 and was assigned to Middleburg Fire-Rescue Station #3. He is survived by his parents, two brothers and two sisters.

“A loss of this magnitude, affects our entire family,” stated Loudoun County Fire-Rescue Chief Joseph Pozzo. “Alex was a valued member of our family and will be sorely missed by all who knew and worked with him”.

Lt. Keepers was also a long-time volunteer member of the Independent Hose Company in Frederick, Maryland.

The Loudoun County Department of Fire and Rescue and Emergency Management extends our deepest sympathy to Lieutenant Keepers’ family, the Loudoun County Career Fire Fighters Local #3756, and the Independent Hose Company.

(For more fire and EMS news from STATter 911, click here)

(Updated at 9:50 AM)

Loudoun County, VA lieutenant killed in wreck on way to work

(STATter 911 has a separate page for information and links concerning the death of Lt. Alex Keepers. Click here.)

Lt. Alex Keepers, with the Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services, died in a wreck on icy roads while driving to work from his Frederick, MD home early this morning. The picture above is from Sam Yu in the Frederick News Post and it shows the t-bone collision between a tractor-trailer carrying lumber and an the SUV belonging to the 31-year-old Keepers. It happened on the Route 15 bridge over the Potomac River just before 5:00 AM. Fire and EMS from Frederick County, MD and Loudoun County, VA handled the call. It was one of a number of motor vehicle accidents on the slick roads early today.

We are told Alex Keepers was also a volunteer with the Independent Hose Company in Frederick.

FIT for a fire department

Is it the future of firefighting? Port Jervis, NY Chief Joseph Kowal Sr. was impressed with his first use of the FIT-5, described by manufacturer ARA Safety, INC as, "an easy to use dry powder aerosol that quickly reduces heat and flame, allowing firefighters to attack a fire more effectively, more safely and with less water damage to property".

Chief Kowal was first on the scene of a fire on the upper floor of a 3-story residential building last Thursday and launched the land-mine looking device into a third floor window from a fire escape. According to 1st Responder Wireless News, "Within 15-seconds of the unit’s deployment, thick, dark smoke that had been billowing from the building was reduced and noticeably faded lighter gray. Flames remained suppressed for approximately 15-minutes, allowing time and ease for interior firefighters to reach the blaze".

See pictures and read the complete story.

Trail-blazing Georgia chief retires

There have been a lot of firsts in Rebecca Denlinger's career. During 30 years with the Cobb County Fire Department, she was "the first female firefighter, driver, engineer, lieutenant, captain, director of training and, ultimately, chief for the past decade". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution looks at Chief Denlinger as she prepares for her retirement this week.

Last weekend in 2007 quite newsworthy

If you missed STATter 911 this past weekend, you missed a lot of interesting stories: Special legislation puts Boston candidate at the top of the list; Deadly arson outside Chicago; Baltimore driver and officer of Truck 27 suspended without pay; The response to the San Francisco Zoo tiger attack questioned; NJ LODD; Retiring firefighter meets boy he save almost 30-years-ago; For the second time fire tragedy strikes NY family; The 1994 video that sparked the investigation into a Jackson, MS assistant chief; NH firefighters back-up chief in his exit.

See all of these stories, here.

It isn't the starting salary, it's what happens afterwards

Trying to recruit paramedics in Salisbury, MD, like many jurisdictions these days, is challenging. While the starting salary is competitive, the lack of guaranteed pay raises is not. Still, the action, compared to what may be a more leisurely pace elsewhere on the Eastern Shore, is attractive to some. WBOC-TV takes a look.

Last man standing

A look back at what once was a thriving volunteer fire department through the eyes of the last volunteer in Oak Lawn, IL. Read the story.

What that yellow line painted on the curb means

In the Mississippi Press, a bit of a back and forth on the opinion pages over whether police should park in a fire lane for a lunch break. Read details.

Water supply issues in OK house fire

Shawnee Fire Department Battalion Chief David Short told News-Star.com about the fire above, "Our guys made a good effort. It was in vain because of the lack of water." The fire was Saturday afternoon.

Helmet Cam in PA

Christmas Night the Bowmansville VFD on the scene of a house fire in Berks County. Read the story.

NC fire

A commercial building fire, Saturday evening, on Bragg Blvd. in Fayetteville.

Houston fire

Helmet-Cam from station 9 in Houston.

DC's Engine 8

A compilation of still pictures and music.

From STATter 911, some Rescue 911

This is a March 22, 1994 segment about a 1992 rescue from a burning home in Arkansas.

And finally, bring in the new year with some old rigs

This is video taken at a Kingston, NY event in August of 2007.

(Updated 8:47 PM, Sunday)

Special legislation to get late firefighter's son hired causes Boston controversy

His efforts to become a Boston firefighter, and carry on a family tradition of almost 100 years, seemed to fall apart when Will Hayhurst III "received relatively dismal scores on the civil service exam all three times he took it". But the Sunday Boston Globe reports Hayhurst has moved from 623rd on the hiring list to the top thanks to a law tailor made for him and his two brothers. The law specifically gives the Hayhursts preference based on his firefighter dad's death from eye cancer.

Critics call it "an example of the patronage and favoritism lingering in Massachusetts government". Read the story.

4-11 in suburban Chicago

A Saturday night apartment fire that left 3 people dead and many homeless in Oak Forest, IL is considered arson. Two men are being questioned. Watch WBBM-TV's story.

Baltimore driver and officer suspended

The Baltimore Sun reports the driver and officer of Truck 27 have been suspended without pay after the triple fatal wreck on Park Heights Avenue:

The driver of a city firetruck that hit a sport utility vehicle this month, killing its three occupants, and an officer on the truck at the time of the accident were both suspended without pay yesterday, fire officials said.

The driver, Nathaniel D. Moore, and the officer, Lt. Thomas Moore, were suspended pending a hearing on administrative charges that will be held in the "very near future," said Chief Kevin Cartwright, a Fire Department spokesman. The two men are not related.

Truck 27 was the third of four fire vehicles traveling north on Park Heights Avenue on Dec. 9 on their way to a reported fire. The truck collided with the SUV as it came through the Clarks Lane intersection.

Cartwright said the administrative charges were brought by the battalion chief and signed off on by the deputy chief of operations. He would not divulge the charges, noting that it is a personnel matter, but said they deal with driving an emergency vehicle in an unsafe manner.

"In this case, it is much more serious," he said. "Lives were lost."

Stephan G. Fugate, head of the Baltimore Fire Officers Union, said he believed it was "a bit harsh" to suspend the men without pay before the investigation or charges have run their course.

"Quite frankly, the reason they call them accidents is because it's not on purpose," Fugate said. "I think our members should be treated the same way as any other city employees."

Tiger attack response questioned

The San Francisco Chronicle has the minute by minute account of the tiger attack that killed one person on Tuesday. With both police and fire dispatch logs, the paper brings up some key questions about the response to the San Francisco Zoo and the reaction of zoo officials. I imagine after reading this, emergency crews everywhere might want to look at their own plans for a disaster at the local zoo. Below is the lead to the story that you can read in its entirety here:

The initial report of a Christmas Day tiger attack was downplayed by San Francisco Zoo employees as the ravings of a mentally unstable person, triggering a slower police response, and officials later forced fire crews to wait outside the gates until enough police could arrive to escort them into the zoo, dispatch logs show.

Meanwhile, Carlos Sousa Jr. lay bleeding at the tiger exhibit for several minutes amid the confusion. It may have taken fire crews and zoo officials as long as 13 minutes from the first 911 call before crews found his body.

The police dispatch logs released Friday and fire dispatch records obtained by The Chronicle reflect a chaotic scene as zoo officials seemed ill-equipped to deal with a dire emergency.

Emergency responders and zoo officials, for example, spotted the cat moving about freely but waited for zoo employees with tranquilizer guns, according to the logs. Just minutes later, the tiger was viciously biting and clawing one of its victims at a cafe located 300 yards away from the tiger grotto. At the restaurant, police shot and killed the cat.

NJ LODD

From Billy Goldfeder at FirefighterCloseCalls.com:

It is with deep regret that we advise you that a Firefighter with East Greenwich Township (N.J.) died in the Line of Duty this morning while responding to a fire call. Companies were dispatched to a reported dwelling fire where a neighbor was seeing flames in the window. Police arrived on location and advised that it was just a salamander (a unit used for heating a house under construction) in the residence-and was a good intent call. While en-route, the Engine Company pulled over, calling Gloucester County Fire Radio requesting a medic and BLS, to their current location for an unresponsive Firefighter. With a BLS unit on the way to the fire call, they were with the FF in less than a minute and, along with the FF's, began early defib and CPR. EMS transported the Firefighter, reported to be in his 40's, to the hospital where he never recovered and passed away.

PhillyFireNews.com is on the story and reports the firefighter is with the Mt. Royal Fire Company in East Greenwich Township.

Nice end to a firefighting career

Before we get to some more tragic news, here is one of those stories that reminds you why firefighters do what they do. In Danvers, MA, Lt. David Deluca is retiring after a long career. It will be 28-years-ago next Tuesday that Deluca, then a rookie, pulled an 8-year-old boy out from under his bed in a smoke filled apartment. The boy was in cardiac arrest. That boy is now the 36-year-old father of two. On the eve of his retirement, David Deluca and Michael Bouzianis meet again. Read the story.

Tragedy strikes family for second time under very familiar circumstances

Fifteen years ago, one-year-old Gabriel Rogers died in a fire in New York, after being left home alone with two siblings, ages 7 and 9. On Thursday night, 4-year-old Gabriela Rogers, named for her dead sister, along with a 3-year-old sister, were left in their Brooklyn home in the care of their 14-year-old brother, Lamel. Gabriela has burns over 75% of her body "after she set her family's home ablaze with a butane lighter, relatives said".

More from an article in the New York Daily News:

"My mom told me about it. It's starting over again," said 14-year-old Lamel Rogers, who was watching Gabriela and her sister Thursday. Lamel and a friend managed to get his youngest sister, 3-year-old Cailila, safely out of the smoky, second-floor bedroom.

But Gabriela ran back inside the Stuyvesant Heights home to hunt for her beloved German shepherd, Nyla, relatives said.

Gabriela's parents, Herbie Garner and Camile Rogers, told investigators they left Lamel in charge for less than 15 minutes when they went to the store.

The city Administration for Children's Services was investigating whether Gabriela's parents were negligent for leaving the children in the care of a 14-year-old.

As firefighters pulled Gabriela from Thursday's blaze, all the little girl wanted to know was that everyone else was safe, relatives said. "The first thing she asked for in the ambulance was her sister and her dog," said Gabriela's sister Camilla Rogers, 22, who spent nine months in the hospital after the 1992 fire.

"All we can do [is] keep the faith. She's a fighter. She's a remarkable kid."

Baltimore City fire deaths worst in a decade

In so many ways it has been a horrible and tragic year for the Baltimore City Fire Department. Here is one more reason that many would like to get past 2007: 34 fire deaths.

It is the highest number of fire fatalities in Baltimore since 1998. Here are excerpts from a Baltimore Sun article:

Thirty-four people died, and the lack of working smoke detectors was a common denominator in 10 of the 24 fatal blazes reported as of yesterday, said Baltimore City Fire Marshal Bob Doedderlein. Without an early warning to escape, he and state fire officials said, individual fires are becoming more deadly, killing three or more people at a time.

High-casualty fires are part of a troubling pattern emerging across the nation and Maryland, which recorded 91 deaths this year, the most since 2001, said state Fire Marshal William E. Barnard. The numbers have prompted Barnard to get involved in two national fire safety summits, one in January and another in the spring at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg.

"How and why is one fire killing so many people at once?" he asked. "Is this about needing more smoke alarms? Does this trend say something about the way we live now, with more plastics in the house that make fires burn hotter and faster?"

Two teen girls dead in Virginia house fire -- investigators find no smoke alarms

Click the image above to see 9NEWS NOW report from the fire

Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department officials identified the victims of the fire early Friday morning as Morgan Whitsett, 16, and her 13-year-old sister Ashley. Morgan attended West Potomac High School. Ashley attended Carl Sandberg Middle School.

Battalion Chief Mike Reilly said there was heavy fire on both floors of the single-family home in the 2400 block of Popkins Lane. There was also a 53-year-old man trying to get back in the home. He had been burned. Once on the second floor, Reilly says crews found the bodies of the two girls by a bedroom window. Chief Reilly says it appears the were trying to escape. The autopsy confirmed the girls died as a result of smoke inhalation.

What investigators haven't found, according to Reilly, are any smoke alarms.

An adult female discovered unharmed outside the house is being interviewed.

While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, officials say there is no indication of foul play.

Around the web

I have been operating from an undisclosed location this week and will through New Years Day (apparently my coverage of the fire in the Old Executive Office Building prompted an invite for me to join the VP for the holidays). Between the travel and trying to be on vacation, I may be just a little slower than normal in getting some of the breaking news on as promptly as I usually do. As always, STATter 911 reminds you to also check in with some of our friends who work this same territory. Bill Schumm at FireGeezer.com, besides the variety of things he covers, is particularly good with the breaking news.

Some other sites that we always look at are: WithTheCommand.com; VAFireNews.com; Firefighter Nation; SConFire.com; Charge The Line!; The House Watch; DCFD.com; FirefighterCloseCalls.com; Firefighter Spot; Firehouse.com; FirefightingNews.com.

Watch 1994 video that has sparked racial concerns in MS

STATter 911 first told you Sunday about Jackson, MS Assistant Chief Todd Chandler being investigated for his possible involvement with a 13-year-old video that is currently causing a racial controversy. Now, you can see the video for yourself.

IAFF Local 87 President Brandon Falcon distributed the tape that "shows a video tour of Station 12. One clip shows a Confederate flag on a blackboard. Then comes a segment showing a firefighter, ... Falcon says is Chandler, using phrases and gestures associated with derogatory stereotyping of blacks as he imitates a black firefighter".

Jackson Fire Chief Vernon Hughes is conducting the investigation. According to the story on WAPT.com, "Hughes said he talked to Chandler, and Chandler told him that the man on the tape is not him".

Old factory burns in Illinois

This is from Rock Falls on Friday. Caption has it as the old Reliant Fastener factory. Long vacant, the clean up of the site has been an issue. Part 2 gets a little closer and is here.

Chief gone over his EMS training, a dozen firefighters go with him

Turmoil in East Kingston, NH, where the long-time fire chief was canned because he failed to complete first-responder medical training required in his contract. A dozen firefighters say they are resigning in protest. Read the story.

Jena fire not found to be racially motivated

From the AP:

The 2006 fire that badly damaged the high school in this east-central Louisiana town had nothing to do with the racial tension that led to a civil rights demonstration, a law enforcement official said Friday.

The fire was set by people who wanted to destroy bad grade records, LaSalle Parish Sheriff-elect Scott Franklin said.

Six males, including three juveniles, were arrested Thursday and face aggravated arson counts. Two other suspects are being sought, he said.

"The arson fire at Jena High School had nothing to do with racial motivation, the Jena Six or any of the other events surrounding the school last semester," Franklin said.

The November 30, 2006, fire destroyed several classrooms, offices and science labs.

It happened a few months after the appearance of nooses in a campus tree -- a move that resulted in the suspension of three white students -- and a few days before a group of black students attacked and beat a white classmate.

The group of black students came to be known as the Jena Six after five of them were initially arrested on attempted murder charges, drawing criticism from civil rights leaders who said the charges were too harsh.

Charges in the case eventually were reduced. In September, an estimated 20,000 people demonstrated in Jena, one of the nation's largest civil rights demonstrations in recent memory.

Burning sinkhole

Six homes were evacuated Friday in West Knox County, TN as CO levels increased. Firefighters determined the problem was a burning sinkhole that had been used as a dump. Read the story.

Maybe Alan Etter can set up a photo-op for the Odessa Fire Department

Investigators say the fire in a boyhood home of President George Bush is arson. The fire started early Thursday morning on the front porch and spread inside the one-story home behind the Presidential Museum in Odessa, Texas.

Excerpts from the Odessa American (the paper's picture is above):

Investigators had no suspects in the fire late Thursday, (Odessa Fire Marshal Detra) White said, and she expects the case to take some time because investigators have so much to consider. Arson is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

The fire spread inside the home, damaging the green carpet inside the living room, the mid-20th century radio console near the door and the ceiling. Much of the porch roof is burned, and smoke damaged the ceilings throughout the home.

The Bush family photos in the northwest bedroom were not damaged.

The Bush family moved here in 1948 from New Haven, Conn. The house originally sat at 916 E. 17th St., before it was moved to be part of the Presidential Museum’s permanent exhibit. A representative of George H.W. Bush’s office said the president and Barbara are deeply saddened to hear about the fire, but they declined to be interviewed.

It was last week that a fire in the Old Executive Office Building, next to The White House, brought President Bush and Vice President Cheney out to meet firefighters. For an account of how DC Fire & EMS PIO Alan Etter sparked this meet and greet for the camera, check out a blog entry last week on WTOP.com (Thanks to Dave Hughes and his DCRTV.com for the alert on this one).

Reaction to Catania 911 call

Still hearing from people critical of DC Councilmember David Catania and others who think a 911 call taker could have done a better job after the two interacted during an emergency call released on Wednesday. If you haven't heard the recording, or want your opinion heard, click here.

Consultants under attack

The Fire Brigades Union in the UK says if more money were spent on the front line and less on consultants, things would be better off. Government spending on management consultants in the fire service since 2006 is said to be 44 million pounds. Union leaders claim that would pay for more than 1,500 firefighting positions.

In defending the spending, a spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: "Deaths and injuries from fire are at their lowest levels since records began. This consultancy spending is to ensure that this trend continues and Government's £1 billion investment in the service is money well spent - effectively equipping the service to meet the challenges of today's world, such as terrorist incidents, natural disasters and industrial accidents."

There's more. Read the article.

Two-alarm fire in PA

Around 11:00 Thursday night, fire was reported in a building in McKees Rocks, PA. Fire through the roof and because of a collapse firefighters were ordered out of the building. Click the image above to see video from KDKA-TV.

Sounding the alarm in NH

That is, if there were an alarm to sound. A Christmas Day fire in Manchester, was in a restaurant that was in violation of the state fire code requiring it to have an alarm system. Not clear if it would have changed the outcome, but the article in the Union Leader gives some insight into an enforcement system that doesn't seem to have a lot of teeth behind it.

Cross dressing

I have known people who faced a dilemma trying to decide if they wanted to be a firefighter or a police officer. In Tyler, Texas, a 17-year-old was having a similar problem. He was trying to decide whether he would rather impersonate a firefighter or police officer. He wasn't sure, so police say he tried both. It is a rather complicated story that goes back to an arrest last August and the latest bust on Christmas Eve. Austin Harden had also been a member of a Fire Explorer program. Read the details.

Read and watch the story from KLTV-TV.

Apartment fire in Poland

No date on this fire in Warsaw. Video begins before firefighters arrive to mount an interior attack at a 3-story apartment building.

More security camera video from FL explosion

This is another video showing the impact of the recent deadly explosion in Jacksonville.

MD house fire

Things are a little slow in the video department this week, so I have added this older Montgomery County house fire. I believe it is in the Gaithersburg area sometime last year (or is it earlier?).

(Updated at 12:13 PM)

You be the judge

We have done many stories about issues at DC's 911 center, the Office of Unified Communications. On December 14, at a hearing just hours after he had to call 911 himself, DC City Councilmember David Catania called the experience "entirely dissatisfying". Trying to report a crime in progress Catania said that he was "so off-put, it made it more difficult for me to gather my thoughts."

STATter 911 and wusa9.com filed a FOIA request on December 17 and received the recording of David Catania's call yesterday. Click here to listen to the call, read more details and let us know your thoughts about how the call was handled. One of the more interesting comments said, "He should be made to work one shift anwering these calls".

There are also more comments on wusa9.com.

Brothers team up to save niece trapped in fire

In Aspen Hill, MD, two young men rescued their 8-year-old niece from a burning home early this morning. Read the story from wusa9.com.

All alone and filing suit

In Mishawaka, Indiana the city's only female firefighter/paramedic claims firefighters have put up "sexually derogatory cartoons and notes in stations to harass her into leaving". Dale Francis says she has also been given the silent treatment and refused help in moving patients and equipment. Read the story.

Driver only and other problems spark review

Gloucester, MA's mayor-elect wants an after-action report looking at the response to the Middle Street fire. More on Carolyn Kirk's comments from the The Gloucester Daily Times:

Kirk said the completing the AAR would require all emergency responders to create and submit reports, which would be used to gauge how the city, its first responders and the resources called from other communities fit together and executed their assignments.

Kirk also said she was exploring the best way to undertake a review of the performance of the Gloucester Fire Department.

"The challenges in terms of equipment, staffing, management and training predate this incident, " said Kirk, who takes office Jan. 1.

A recent article in the Boston Globe looked at staffing issues in Gloucester and elsewhere.

FireGeezer, who is now being quoted in New England, has more.

One call, two fire trucks wrecked

In Newport News, VA on Wednesday, the same emergency call led to two fire engines being involved in collisions. Everyone hurt, including firefighters with minor injuries, refused transport. VAFireNews.com has the story.

Charge The Line! inserts itself in the middle of a Boston cover-up where a columnist is shoveling it

You may have seen this controversy by now. The hydrants are covered by snow and a newspaper columnist thinks the firefighters should go around and dig out all 15-thousand plugs, because firefighters, as well all now, have plenty of down time . Bill Carey, at his Charge The Line! site, brings us up-to-date and gives us his view.

One apartment complex, two fires five months apart

In Houston, the last building standing at an apartment complex hit by a five-alarm fire in July, was destroyed by a fire just before midnight. Old 6-inch water mains at the complex have hindered firefighting operations (that sounds like a familiar problem). The first fire was determined to be electrical. This time there was no power at the complex. Watch and read the story from KPRC-TV. Short YouTube video.

Fire in Beverly, MA

A six-family apartment building burned in Beverly, MA yesterday. No injuries. Read the story.

Glenn Dale predicts the future?

A video from PGFD Station 18, Glenn Dale VFD. The caption reads "Check Out What's Coming From The Blitz Crew In 08". I'm not sure what they are trying to tell us is coming, other than more fires. But from someone who has worked in broadcasting for a while, it was a good tease. I tuned in. Have a happy and safe new year.

DC City Council photo

After hearing the details of a December 14 emergency call from some sources working at the District of Columbia Office of Unified Communications (OUC), the city's 911 center, I had my colleagues at 9NEWS NOW request a copy of the recording through the Freedom of Information Act.

This is not a fire call. It is a call for police service. The caller is DC Councilmember David Catania. The call was first mentioned in a Washington Times article on December 15 , covering a hearing about the city's 911 service. From that article it was made clear that this call did not go well, and Councilmember Catania complained about the level of service he received.

STATter 911 and 9NEWS NOW have covered many issues at OUC, particularly delays in alerting DC Fire and EMS to emergency calls. We are still trying to get some answers, and the recording of the fire at the Old Executive Office Building last week. In that case there has been no explanation why the call was dispatched to the wrong street address.

But on the 911 call made by David Catania, there are many who dispute that the problem was solely at OUC. Now that the 911 call is out, you get to be the judge. Listen for yourself.

Listen to Councilmember David Catania's call to 911

Tiger kills one, injures two others at San Francisco Zoo

A Christmas Day outing at the San Francisco Zoo turned deadly when a tiger escaped, killing one man and injuring his two friends. It is the same tiger that mauled a zookeeper last year. Image above is from CNN.com.

Story from KPIX-TV.

IA restaurant burns to the ground while they were fixing Christmas Dinner

The restaurant in Balltown goes back six generations. As workers fixed holiday meals at Breitbach’s Country Dining, they heard an explosion in the basement. Everyone got out, but the business is gone. Click the image above to see raw video.

You don't just have to worry about the idiots who pull in front of your fire truck

Gee, why not chase the fire truck. And we'll video this brilliant move and show everyone. From London.

Firehouse challenge --- WARNING: This is not for the queasy

From Lehigh County, PA, a contest to see who can drink a gallon of whole milk in an hour without puking or going to the bathroom. Please heed the warning above and don't watch the video if you are easily offended by language or can't take the sight of grown men emptying the contents of their stomachs. You have been warned. Remember, I don't shoot them or post them. I just find them. Now that you have been warned three times, if you really want to see what passes for firehouse fun, you can click here (just don't complain to me).

Something a lot nicer

Life of an American Fireman, 1903 (above) is one of four films from that era we compiled to provide a little holiday cheer. In case you missed it, click here.

Our other holiday feature was the critique of a very old 2-alarm fire that keeps growing (the critique, that is). In case you missed that, click here.

First look at a new rig

The caption says Nic's Uncle Jim is responsible for possibly getting this young one hooked.

Here at STATter 911 we decided to provide more of a holiday gift than just that lame critique of two, somewhat inept fire departments. Below, some of the earliest films to record the actions of some real firemen.

Life of an American Fireman, 1903. Read about this film, here and some details about the firemen in the production, here. Director Edwin S. Porter and Edison Films (yes, that Edison) enlisted "the services of the fire departments of four different cities, New York, Newark, Orange, and East Orange, N.J., and about 300 firemen appear in the various scenes of this film". You may particularly like the high speed, horse drawn, layout and the close-up of the fire alarm box.

Buffalo Fire Department in Action. An even older film, from July 31, 1897. Also from Edison. Read more.

Annual parade, New York Fire Department. Another Edison/Porter film of the May 17, 1904 parade. Read about the film.

Pawtucket Fire Department. From the same era, a response by the Pawtucket, Rhode Island Fire Department on December 5, 1903. Read more about the film.

(Updated at 11:50 PM)

On thewatchdesk.com, Rich Schaffer, with the help of Jim Embry, just added a little holiday gift for everyone. Some pictures from a long mutual aid run of long ago. Click the image above to see the pictures and read the details from 1904.

Elderly couple dead in Christmas Eve fire in DC

Picture from Alan Etter, DC Fire & EMS

From wusa9.com:

A husband and wife in their 80s died in a house fire Christmas Eve morning in northwest DC.

George O'Keefe, 88, was found dead on the first floor of the two-story home on Oliver Street. Firefighters found Gisela O'Keefe, 80, upstairs in cardiac arrest. Crews performed CPR, but she was pronounced dead in the hospital a short time later.

Fire department spokesman Alan Etter says officials believe the blaze started in the basement, but they still don't know the cause. Etter says it appears that the house had no working smoke alarms.

He says the O'Keefes were longtime residents of the neighborhood. Family members told authorities that George was a retired Marine, while Gisela was a part-time school librarian.

Racially charged video has assistant chief on hot seat

In Jackson, Mississippi, a skit on a video has some people demanding that Assistant Chief Todd Chandler be fired. Read the story.

2nd alarm at the firehouse

On the eve of Christmas Eve, fire broke out in the recreation room of the Oak Valley Fire Company near Deptford, NJ. No one was in the firehouse at the time. Apparently the apparatus was saved and most of the second-alarm companies weren't needed. Read more.

911 calls and security cameras from Florida explosion

Above, the 911 calls from the deadly explosion at the T2 Labs in Jacksonville on Wednesday.

Above, security cameras capture the flash and shock wave of the blast.

I yam what I yam

STATter 911 clearly overlooked a few points in our second-guessing and bashing of the brave and dedicated firefighters seen in the video above (typical of the news media, isn't it?). We have updated the page, adding a critique of this incident from a source with a more modern perspective. You can see it here and also can scroll to the comments section to add anything we missed.

Volunteer incentives requested to combat dwindling membership

In Pennsylvania, a request for property tax rebates, tuition credits at state and county colleges and a statewide retirement plan. Some volunteer companies are asking politicians at various levels for some help. Read the story.

Many of the CA wildfires sparked by power lines

The Washington Post takes a look at what was behind 21 fires in 3 days. Here is an excerpt:

A 10-year-old boy confessed to starting one fire while playing with matches. That blaze blackened 38,000 acres north of Los Angeles, though authorities opted not to press charges against the youth, who has been described as distraught.

Two other fires were attributed to arson, something officials said happens routinely when fires erupt elsewhere. "The arsonists jump in because they have cover; there's other fires already," said Bill Peters, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

In an odd twist, a convicted arsonist was discovered among the volunteers fighting fires in San Diego County. Paroled after setting seven blazes 10 years ago, the man was not implicated in the October fires.

The leading cause of ignition appeared to be power lines.

As many as eight fires were blamed on sparks from lines blown down by the high, hot Santa Ana winds that sweep across Southern California each autumn. The Witch fire, which burned 200,000 acres and killed two people, was ignited by a power line, as was the smaller Guejito blaze with which it merged.

2nd alarm house fire

According to the caption, there was some confustion on the address of this house fire in Lynn, MA. A second alarm was called as the order came to switch to a defensive operation.

NJ 5th alarm

Fire just before 9:00 Sunday morning at La Rosa's Pizza in Metuchen. Read more, here.

Police say drunk teenager crashes truck into home and kills at least five

This is from Bogota, Colombia on Saturday night. Read the story.

UK fire


A storage facility in flames in Portlethen on Saturday afternoon. Click the image above to see the video and read the story.

Fire in Texas

No details on this one.

Smoke free firehouse bingo

Mixed reaction to this idea in Shippensberg, PA. Read the story.

Those who throw stones shouldn't live in glass houses

Everyone is a critic. In Chicago on Sunday night, in the middle of the 10:00 PM news, the driver of a minivan decided he wanted to be in the middle of WLS-TV's State Street studio. Click here to see two videos, including the reaction of the anchor as the vehicle makes its entry.

Click above to watch STATter 911's exclusive video

Click here for the latest news from STATter 911

Fire spread quite rapidly from the first floor to the roof, in what appears to be a 3-story balloon-frame, single-family-dwelling. There are two hydrants on side A, but there are also serious water supply problems (STATter 911 has contacted Chief Dennis Rubin, who has asked J. Gordon Routley to write a report and Etter and Crosswhite to call a press conference) .

Staffing is clearly a problem, as the first two engines went driver only. OSHA has been contacted by the IAFF about a possible "2-in, 2-out" violation. OSHA is also interested in the YouTube type video at the beginning, that shows smoking and rough-housing in quarters.

Harold Schaitberger sent out an email reminding everyone this is not an IAFF operation.

The initial defensive operations prompted numerous postings on TWD from Hookman claiming, "they are a bunch of wimps".

The lack of PPE sparked a WTF email from an outraged Chief Billy Goldfeder. Just as upset, Dr. Burton Clark noted no one was wearing seat belts.

On Firehouse.com, Dr. Harry Carter says this just supports his concerns about leadership.

Bill Webb and the crew at CFSI have urged everyone to write members of Congress.

We can only be thankful that our dear, departed friend, Frank Brannigan, didn't see the roof operations. If these guys had paid attention in class, or read "Building Construction For The Fire Service", Third Edition, they would have known the damn roof was going to collapse.

Opposing hose lines are also an issue. Part of the problem is that rival volunteer companies appear to be more interested in fighting each other, than rescuing the lone occupant. Of course, STATter 911 has the exclusive on this. We have already contacted Mark Brady, who says it is under investigation and the companies involved will be restricted to the first-due response area. Chief 833, Tony Kelleher, tells STATter 911,"At least you can't blame this one on Kentland".

The whole event has prompted FossilMedic, Mike Ward, to write a paper wondering why Ambulance 833 wasn't on the scene (On a related note, upon viewing the video, Chief Lawrence Sedgwick has demanded that both Company C and Company D immediately provide an EMS transport unit). At the same time, LightRock, Jim Featherstone, has written many words on how outdated the apparatus is (you can read the articles on Bill Schumm's FireGeezer, who believes one of the firefighters is actually Donna in disguise).

Grant Mishoe, of SConFire.com, is already trying to get the rigs into the North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum and Educational Center.

Ozzie Mirkhah, Mike Love, Bill Delaney and Keith Brower each sent STATter 911 emails declaring this as another example of why residential sprinklers must be required.

Even better video is available from the department's official photographer, Vito Maggiolo and it has already been posted on DCFD.com. Bill Carey shot it because, once again, the fire was near the office. A different angle is on the way from Tom Yeatman. Another stringer's video is unavailable due to his arrest for going behind the yellow tape. Firefighter Spot already beat STATter 911 to the punch and posted this video days ago.

Ricky Riley sadly noted, and STATter 911 agreed, that the images would have been much better had Wes Gerald been around to take them.

In a bold headline, St. Mary's Today called them a bunch of "fire thugs", wrote an insensitive political cartoon and printed it along with stories about a governor's love child and a martian landing (or maybe they were both the same story).

FireTactics.net has already posted a picture of the fire under the title, "You Make The Call".

WithTheCommand.com already has a crew from TaskForce1, Inc. heading to that fire station for training.

Spencer Stevenson of MarylandFireNews.com thinks what this crew needs is a helmet-cam.

The shocking video has prompted the hardest working man in the business, Rhett Fleitz, to start another web site.

Looking for a positive spin, Pete Piringer pointed to the two-minute response time. He was immediately blasted by a number of people on Firefighter Hourly.

Multiple postings on Firefighter Nation declared the firefighter in the sailor's cap is kind of cute. He was immediately signed up for next year's charity calender, which even before it was printed, dissolved in scandal.

Finally, both Ron Siarnicki and Hal Bruno watched the video and said, despite the many failings, they are just glad everyone went home. We agree. A Merry Christmas and a happy and safe new year from everyone at STATter 911 ("everyone" would be me, Hillary and Sam).

Thanks to all of the above, and countless others, for helping make the first eight months of STATter 911 so enjoyable and newsworthy. And thank you for checking in.

Monday update:

It appears my critique of this 2-alarm house fire is lacking in a number of areas. Blame it on the length of time it has been since I have ridden a fire truck.

I guess things have changed. In my day, if this wasn't handled with two engines and a truck, you'd hear about it. Incident command? Was that the guy standing next to you with the white helmet and cigar in his mouth, pushing you into the room where the orange glow was coming from? Rehab? Yes, we heard of that. But it was always handled rather discretely. Oh, not that kind of rehab.

So, it's clear we need a more up-to-date view of this fire. A Maryland firefighter, who asked that we not use his name (I think he feels a little career vs. volunteer backlash on this one), has offered his insight.

I am particularly impressed with his eye for detail. The "sealed canteen-related" item intrigues me. There may be more here than meets the eye. Notice the sudden transformation of the Company D firefighter's physique. I think a little screening for anabolic steroids might be in order.

Here's the critique (our comments section is open, if there is anything we've missed):

The rather large FF from Company C has a serious violation of facial hair standards that would make proper wearing of SCBA in an IDLH environment impossible. (Remedial physical training also recommended for likely BMI in excess of 30 percent)

Company D firefighter (while adhering to facial hair standards and recommended weight though outsized forearms to body indicates unusual PT regimen) has no recognizable department uniform and large anchor tattoos on forearms may violate some FD policy on having body artwork covered by said uniform. While response time appears good, neither company use any known standard type of layout technique or establishment of water supply.

No circle check or Level I or II command of any type appears to have been established. Considering volume and rapid spread of fire on side D, but oddly not smoke, visually confirmed trapped victim and likely further spread of fire due to presumed (and previously mentioned) balloon frame construction, it seems negligent to say the least that a rapid intervention dispatch, safety assignment or task force was not called for by first-arriving companies C and D.

Ladder selection, placement and angle for rescue are improper. Incident also clearly demonstrates inherent weakness in using wooden ladders and a transition for both departments to aluminum ladders is recommended.

Neither Company C and D firefighters have SCBA nor turnout gear for proper roof rescue, nor roof ladder or tools (latter for sounding roof), and weight of said FF probably contributed to later roof collapse) While Company D firefighter's outstanding bravery in rescuing civilian and Company C FF from roof is duly noted, generally catastrophic roof collapses as seen in the video and lack of proper PPE and SCBA are a receipe for tragedy. Company D firefighter should also take care not to carry sealed canteen-related items on the fireground as they could explode and cause injury if exposed to heat. Also recommended for Company D firefighter is remedial EMS training as EMT skills demonstrated on civilian are inconsistent with any known protocols for smoke inhalation.

Despite the favorable outcome, this type of freelancing, horseplay on the fireground, and lack of professionalism, should not be seen as an example for the rest of the fire service.

(Updated at 8:15 PM, Saturday)

Old video of the day: The fire chief was new to town and decided to spend this cold December, 1989 night at a firehouse. Shreveport's firefighters and Car 1 handled a number of multiple alarm fires that evening including this one at the Castle Hotel. The fire chief was J. Gordon Routley, who recently told STATter 911 this fire was quite a challenge. Also, Routley disputes the caption with this video that said the temperature was 17 degrees. He claims it actually was 10 degrees colder.

Off-duty DC firefighter is killed after vehicle hit by suspected drunk driver

Watch video from the scene

A 16-year veteran of DC Fire & EMS, Lawrence Borders, died Saturday afternoon in a three car collision near the Branchville fire station in Prince George's County. County police say the 44-year-old Borders was driving a Chrysler convertible which was struck by a Ford Bronco. According to police the Bronco ran a red light at University Blvd. and Rhode Island Ave. The vehicles then collided with a BMW.

Borders was ejected from the car. Prince George's County Fire/EMS crews found Borders in traumatic arrest. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

A police spokesman says the driver of the Bronco is at fault and alcohol was a factor in the crash.

Borders was assigned to the Haz-Mat unit. More as we know it.

PGFD 3rd-alarm and "mayday"

See STATter 911's coverage of the fire, including early raw video

Fire heavily damaged two garden-apartment buildings around 2:00 Friday afternoon in Greenbelt, MD. The fire was in the 9300 block of Edmonston Rd. at the Spring Hill Lake Apartments. The pictures above are from FirehouseGuy at thewatchdesk.com.

We have a separate page of pictures, video and details about the 3-alarm fire and a "mayday" that was called.

You will also find details of Station 814 (Berwyn Heights VFD) collecting donations for the families displaced by the fire.

Station 831 (Beltsville VFD) is another group of firefighters with the holiday spirit. They have also been collecting for the victims of the 3-alarm fire on Cherry Hill Rd. on Monday. Click here for details.

T'is the season

Bill Carey, with his Charge The Line!, is compiling pictures and details on the heavy work load that has been keeping PGFD crews busy on the north side.

Firefighters are CO victims

In Lynn, MA one firefighter was found to be groggy and a second one became sick after opening up a ceiling at the FD headquarters station. Guess who doesn't have CO detectors? Excerpts from WCVB-TV's coverage:

Fumes from a backup generator in the basement are blamed for causing the leak. The fumes collected near the building's roof.

"There was a vent that should not have been covered, but was covered and did not allow fumes to get out of building," said Phelan.

Carbon monoxide levels in the office were measured at 660 parts per million.

Man trying to set roof on fire is tasered and then jumps or falls to the ground

An unusual story from Phoenix, AZ. A man climbed onto the roof of a townhouse, tossed tiles at police and tried to set a number of fires. For two hours he kept police at bay. He was unmoved by a fire hose and rubber bullets. When tasered, he either fell or jumped off the roof and started running away. It took a police dog to bring him down. Some of the raw video is above. The story from KPNX-TV is here.

New exam in Baltimore

The Baltimore Sun has the latest in the BFD cheating scandal:

Firefighters who took a promotion exam in June will all have to retake the test next year because an investigation found some of the test-takers likely cheated amid lapses in testing security.The next exam is scheduled for March 15 and will be taken under new policies that city officials say will provide a more secure environment.In June, fire union officials questioned the scores of five African-American firefighters, leading a black firefighters group to call the suspicions "racially motivated."City officials looked into the controversy and released a report late last month that recommended the implicated firefighters be disciplined and the test be given again.

Acting chief in Baltimore

Mayor Sheila Dixon has named Gregory B. Ward as the acting chief of the Baltimore City Fire Department. Ward had been the deputy chief of operations. Read more. (Scroll down for another Baltimore story.)

Rosenbaum's settle with Howard Hospital

The family of former New York Times reporter David Rosenbaum has reached a settle with Howard University Hospital. Details from The Washington Post:

The adult children of slain New York Times reporter David Rosenbaum have reached a confidential settlement with Howard University Hospital, ending a year-old lawsuit that accused the hospital and D.C. emergency workers of negligence and medical malpractice.

The hospital and two of Rosenbaum's relatives confirmed the settlement yesterday but offered no details. Asked whether the settlement involved a financial award for the plaintiffs, Marcus Rosenbaum, a brother of the journalist, said, "You wouldn't be wrong to say that it did."

DC recruit has MRSA

For the fourth time in two months, the DC Fire & EMS Department's Training Academy has a recruit with a staph infection. This time the infection has been confirmed as MRSA, the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Read details.

Firefighter challenges ALS requirement

A Baltimore City firefighter went before a federal arbitrator on Thursday challenging the requirement that he keep up his Advanced Life Support certification. Here are excerpts from The Baltimore Sun:

The closed-door hearing involving Ryan Wenger, an emergency-vehicle driver, centered on whether firefighters who obtain a higher rank should have to remain certified in advanced-level life saving skills, a department policy that has drawn the ire of the city firefighters unions. Wenger and the head of one of Baltimore's fire unions say firefighters who become officers or drivers have added responsibilities during emergency medical calls and should not have to focus on medical care.

But Fire Department officials say they want all firefighters who arrive at the scene of an emergency to be able to perform the advanced-level skills, such as administering intravenous drugs and other medication.

The arbitrator is expected to rule in the next 45 days.

Every sworn member of the department is required to keep up at least a basic level of emergency medical services certification. Chief William J. Goodwin Jr. said the department has required all members to obtain a higher level since 1997. Firefighters must pass a test every two years to remain certified.

Stephen G. Fugate, head of the city fire officers union and a 33-year veteran of the department, said about one-third of the department's 1,700 uniformed workers are ALS-certified. Fugate estimated that about 60 of the 325 officers have ALS certification.

Fugate said he did not think certification for the entire department was possible.

"The department is having quite a difficult time in maintaining ALS certification for all its members," Fugate said. "It's time intensive and expensive. To presume we can maintain on an on-going basis an entire department is unrealistic."

Findings on WWB medical helicopter crash

It has been almost two years since a helicopter crashed into the Potomac River near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, killing two of the three people on board. The NTSB blames the crash on a disoriented pilot and a faulty gauge. Read the story from The Washington Post.

Both sides in Burton case cite radio traffic and AVL

Yesterday we were able to give you a little more insight into what both sides are saying about the dispute between Lt. Gerald Burton and the DC Fire & EMS Department. Each indicate the audio and data recordings will prove their case. Read our story.

Also, 9NEW NOW's story by Nancy Yamada on the Gerry Burton incident has attracted an enormous amount of attention. It has been the top story on the wusa9.com website. It also has received more than 100 comments, most of them supporting Lt. Burton. Watch the story. Read the story. Read the comments.

Fire museum

The video above from the North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum. The history curator is our friend Grant Mishoe who runs SConFire.com. Read an article about the museum in The Post & Courier.

Explosions in UK industrial fire

From Thursday in Low Moor Bradford. Explosions and evacuations. Read the details.

While researching this video I learned there was a major, deadly explosion in Low Moor 90 years ago. It involved picric acid at a munitions factory. Eighteen firefighter were trying to extinguish the blaze when it blew, killing many. Read here.

IL furniture factory burns

A Cicero office furniture factory was destroyed early this morning in Cicero, Il. Click the image above to see the video from WBBM-TV.

Tourist attraction burns in MD

In Boonsboro, MD, Thursday morning, a fire in a building that is part of the Crystal Grottoes Caverns.

Rhode Island may be small, but ...

It apparently pays a lot for fire protection. The headline in the Providence Journal reads: "R.I. ranks 3rd nationally in fire department payrolls".

Here's the lead to the story:

Nearly every other state in the nation pays less per resident to run its fire departments — personnel, buildings, equipment and other costs — than Rhode Island shelled out last year in fire department payrolls alone.

The Rhode Island fire department payrolls would rank the state third nationally when compared with the total costs in other states, a Providence Journal analysis of municipal employee payroll information shows.

The article has charts comparing pay throughout the state. It also has this interesting item:

The highest-paid municipal fire service employee was Providence Lt. Zachariah Kenyon, who grossed $175,225.78. That includes more than $82,000 in base pay, plus more than $90,000 in overtime, according to figures supplied by the city. But Kenyon’s pay in 2006 — along with other unionized firefighters in Providence — included the lump sum retroactive pay raise. Without the retroactive pay, Kenyon would have grossed $144,672.78, still highest in the state.

Pension board thinks it needs to hire PR firm

The Chattanooga Fire and Police Pension board doesn't think its side is being told about a potential $94 million dollar shortfall. Read the story.

Faking it

Sprinkler systems in dozens of buildings in New York are being reinspected after two plumbers are accused of faking their qualifications. Click here for the story.

Historic VA church destroyed

More than 140-years-old, the Zion Baptist Church in Portsmouth was destroyed by fire Thursday morning. Click here for WAVY-TV's video of the fire and various collapses.

Chester, PA fire

On one side of the highway where I-95 splits Chester, PA, a house fire. No date on the fire. More parts, here.

50 years ago

In Stillwater, Minnesota they are remembering the destruction of the local high school, after a fire that was blamed on a poorly maintained smokestack. Read the story.

Lawsuit over apartment fire

In Lexington, KY, a lawsuit has been filed against the owners of an apartment complex that burned last December. The suit cites a lack of exits and working smoke alarms.

Around the web

WithTheCommand.com has the story of the Ottawa firefighters, their shovels and the city's hydrants.

FireGeezer has the story of the impatient motorist and the ambulance. I also missed telling you about LightRock's insiders look at turmoil in the fire apparatus business. And there is more about the infamous Donna from Arizona. Click here for the latest installment.

SConFire.com has the links to the stories on the new SCBAs for Charleston and the new chief for North Charleston.

Firefighter Nation now has 9300 members and lots of videos, photos and chat.

VAFireNews.com now has a chat room to go with its extensive news coverage from my adopted home state.

Don't forget DCFD.com has all of the details from the three, 2-alarm fires on Wednesday.

On thehousewatch.com you will see an image I missed from the fire at the Old Executive Office Building. It is President George Bush exchanging a semi hi-five with a hose carrying firefighter.

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 relea