Apartment Fire with 2 Fatalities in New Carrollton Suspicious

Prince George's County Firefighters and Paramedics were alerted to an apartment fire with people trapped in New Carrollton this evening.

Fire/EMS units were dispatched at around 7:45 pm, Sunday and arrived at a 3-story/front 4-story rear garden style apartment building in the 7600 block of Fontainebleau Drive with fire showing from a top floor, rear of the building, apartment.

Firefighters initiated a search for trapped occupants and stretched hose lines to initiate an attack on the fire.  The fire was knocked down in about 15 minutes and a deceased adult was located in the apartment of origin.

A person jumped from a rear side top floor balcony and landed about 40 feet below sustaining massive upper body trauma. That adult was transported to a trauma center where they were pronounced deceased.

No other occupants were found in the building and no other civilian or firefighter injuries were reported.

Approximately 50 residents in the building of origin and buildings attached may suffer displacement. The County Citizen Services Unit and the Red Cross will be assisting those residents that need temporary housing.

The cause of the fire is suspicious and is being jointly investigated by Fire Department Investigators as well as the County Police and New Carrollton Police Departments.  Fire loss is estimated at $200,000.

As per standard procedure, the County Police will take the lead in this investigation, including the release of any additional information. Fire Investigators will continue to search for the cause and origin.

Mark Brady
PGFD PIO










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