MEDIA CONTACT: Mark E. Brady, Chief Spokesperson, 240-508-7930
mebrady@co.pg.md.us @PGFDPIO
Prince George’s County Firefighters rescued an occupant of a burning Bowie home on Sunday night but his injuries proved to be too severe
for survival.
At around 10:00 pm, Sunday, December 7, Firefighters were
alerted to a house fire with a report of someone trapped in the 13100 block of
11th Street in Old Bowie. An
engine from the nearby Bowie Fire/EMS Station #819 arrived within 2 minutes and
found a 2-story, Cape Cod style, single family home with smoke showing. The home is just over 1400 square feet and
built in 1930.
Firefighters entered the structure and located the trapped
occupant on the second floor and removed him.
Awaiting medics immediately initiated pre-hospital emergency medical
care on the adult male victim suffering from critical burn injuries.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and completed a
search of the entire structure.
Initially, medics called for a helicopter to fly the patient
to a Burn Unit. While continuing to
treat the patient on the scene his condition rapidly deteriorated and medics
transported him to a local Trauma Center.
Tragically, despite the very best efforts of firefighters, medics and
hospital staff the male succumbed to injuries shortly after arriving at the
hospital.
The County Citizen Services Unit and the American Red Cross
worked with other family members, the victim’s mother and brother, to
arrange for temporary assistance. The
victim’s father was out of town on business.
Fire Investigators have initially listed the fire as “under
Investigation” as a matter of routine whenever a fatality is involved. All preliminary accounts indicate the fire is
accidental. Fire loss is estimated at
$20,000. Two non-working smoke alarms
were found in the home.
A cause of the fire and the victim’s identity will be provided
upon completion of a medical examiners report.
Firefighters will be returning to the community, 13100 block
of 11th Street and surrounding homes this morning at 9:30
am. They will have new 10-year smoke
alarms and fire safety information to distribute to the community. This program, Post Incident Neighborhood
Intervention Program (PINIP), has been a staple of the Fire/EMS Department community risk eduction efforts whenever a
fire of this nature occurs. Firefighters
will go door-to-door providing as much information as possible about the incident. It is during these times that homeowners
allow firefighters into their homes to test smoke alarms to ensure they are
working. If a non-working smoke alarm is
located, either a fresh battery or new alarm will be installed at no charge.
Any Prince George’s County resident that is in need of a
working smoke alarm and cannot afford to purchase one may contact our Safety
First Smoke Alarm Program. Simply call
311 and arrange to have a firefighter visit your home and install a new 10-year
smoke alarm, free of charge.
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