MEDIA CONTACT: Mark E. Brady, Chief Spokesperson, 240-508-7930
mebrady@co.pg.md.us @PGFDPIO
It was anything but sweet for public safety personnel
working this past weekend and the outlook for remaining busy continues. On Saturday, February 14th, an
arctic blast brought about one inch of snow to Prince George’s County, Maryland,
followed by rapidly dropping temperatures, sustained winds ranging from 20 to
30 mph and wind gusts around 50 mph. Air
temperatures were in the teens with wind chill temperatures feeling below
zero. Any snow that fell remained
throughout the weekend and with the frigid temperatures became ice on sidewalks
and roadways.
On Valentines Day Saturday call takers and dispatchers
handled about 525 calls for service for the Fire/EMS Department with a high
percentage of these incidents coming after 5:00 pm when the snow first started
to fall. The Fire/EMS Department
routinely responds to an average of 350 calls per day.
Responses included motor vehicle crashes with injuries, trees
down, wires down, automatic fire alarms and slips and falls in addition to the
normal everyday requests for fire or EMS services. An increase in calls for assistance with
flooded conditions started to increase as water pipes froze and burst open in
homes and businesses.
Firefighters fought two home fires on Saturday. The first fire occurred in a 2-story split
foyer home in the 6800 block of Robina Court in Temple Hills. This fire was determined to be an accidental
electrical fire that caused an estimated $100,00 in fire loss. The second house fire occurred in the 4700
block of Brava Court in Fort Washington and determined to be an accidental
electrical malfunction causing an estimated $20,000 in fire loss. No civilian or firefighter injuries were
reported.
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| 4700 block of Brava Court in Fort Washington |
Two ambulances were involved in minor crashes themselves on
slick roads. Fortunately, damage was
minimal and no one was injured.
Sunday, February 15, continued with more of the same. Fire/EMS units handled nearly 600 calls for
service including, motor vehicle crashes with injury along with a steady stream of
calls for flooded conditions and automatic fire alarms.
Winds remained a factor with wind chill temperatures
remaining at dangerous levels despite bright sunshine throughout the day. Firefighters remained busy handling the high
volume of calls and battling fires.
At about 8:00 am, firefighters made quick work of a dryer
fire in the 3300 block of Walters Lane in District Heights. Fire was limited to $2,000 with no injuries
or displacement,
At about 1:45 pm, firefighters battled a fire in a single
family home in the 7000 block of Southlawn Drive in Oxon Hill. This fire was started by a space heater
igniting nearby combustibles. Two
firefighters were injured battling this fire; both were treated and released from area hospitals. The fire caused about $100,000 in fire loss
and the family of 3 adults, 3 children and 3 dogs were displaced. A working smoke alarm alerted residents of
the fire and all were able to escape safely.
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| Unit block of Maryland Park Drive in Capitol Heights. |
At around 5:00 pm firefighters were alerted to a house fire
in the unit block of Maryland Park Drive in Capitol Heights. Fire/EMS units arrived on the scene to find
smoke showing from the 2-story single family home. The fire was extinguished within 30 minutes
with no injuries being reported. A
malfunctioning fireplace was the cause of the fire with fire loss estimated at
$100,000. The family was displaced.
At about 1:30 am, Monday, February 16, fire/EMS units from
the Riverdale area were alerted to a house fire in the 5500 block of Carters
Lane in Riverdale. Firefighters arrived
with fire showing from the 1-story single family home. No one was home and no injuries were reported.
Fire loss is estimated at $100,000 and the cause of the fire is under
investigation.
So far, Presidents Day Monday morning has been relatively quiet with the
exception of numerous flooded conditions and investigations of automatic fire
alarms. There will not be much rest as a
snowstorm with a potential of 4 to 8 inches of snow is forecast for later today
into tomorrow. Week long forecasts show
that temperatures will not go above freezing for the remainder of the week.
Citizens are encouraged to stay informed about the weather
conditions and be ready with emergency kits fully stocked and to stay warm
safely.
Stay Informed, Stay Ready and Stay Safe.
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