UPDATE - Two Residents Rescued from Chillum Apartment Fire - Sheridan Street

MEDIA CONTACT: Mark E. Brady, Chief Spokesperson, 240-508-7930, mebrady@co.pg.md.us

UPDATED INFORMATION IS LISTED BELOW

Prince George's County Firefighters battled a second floor apartment fire and rescued two occupants from their Chillum apartment this afternoon.  At around 4:00 pm, Fire/EMS units were dispatched to the 600 block of Sheridan Street for a reported apartment fire.  Firefighters from Chillum Fire/EMS Station #844 arrived first and reported smoke showing from the second floor of a three story apartment building.  Firefighters were alerted by residents that other residents were trapped in their apartments.  Firefighters from Hyattsville #801 and Chillum-Adelphi #834 and other Fire/EMS Stations worked to locate and remove the trapped occupants from the building.

As one team of firefighters worked to extinguish the fire located in a second floor bedroom other firefighters performed a primary search and located two occupants still inside their apartments.  One occupant was removed via the interior stairwell and another occupant was removed by firefighters using a ground ladder from his third floor apartment.  Both of the rescued adult occupants were transported to Medstar at the Washington Hospital Center with possible smoke inhalation injuries.

The fire was knocked down in about 15 minutes.  It appears that nine apartment units will be uninhabitable and residents will be displaced.  The County Citizen Services Unit and American Red Cross will assist with temporary shelter and basic needs supplies.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and fire loss estimates are not yet available.

Monday, February 27, UPDATE

Only 1 person, a senior citizen male rescued from the third floor went to the hospital.  The second person was treated on the scene but did not want to go to the hospital.

The fire was caused by a malfunctioning power strip in the bedroom of a second floor apartment.

Fire loss is estimated at $150,000.

Three apartment units are displaced that consist of 6 adults and 6 children - all being assisted by the American Red Cross.