MEDIA CONTACT: Mark E. Brady, Chief Spokesperson, 240-508-7930
mebrady@co.pg.md.us @PGFDPIO
A working smoke alarm and residential sprinkler system are
credited with alerting residents of a fire in an assisted living home and extinguishing
the fire.
Just 12:00 pm, Monday, May 2, Fire/EMS units were alerted to
the 11200 block of Snowden Pond Road in Laurel for a fire in a house with
people trapped. Firefighters arrived at
the 2-story single-family home with no smoke or fire evident, however, senior
citizen residents were being evacuated with the assistance of others.
It turns out the location is an Assisted Living residential
facility with four residents. Four
workers were the ones assisting residents out of the house.
A fire started on the stove of the first floor kitchen. A smoke alarm sounded a warning and staff went to investigate and quickly discovered the fire.
As smoke and heat started to build, workers went to assist patients out
of their beds and to evacuate. Before a
caregiver could reach any patient, a residential sprinkler system head
activated and quickly doused the fire.
With smoke and heat receding, three of the four patients
were safely evacuated without injuries. A fourth patient, on a ventilator, was
carried out by firefighters while being tended to by medics. That patient and two others were transported
to a local hospital for evaluation and safe-keeping. A
fourth resident patient remained at the location. The four staff/caregivers also made it
safely out of the house without injury.
The cause of the fire was unattended cooking and fire loss
is estimated at $5,000. No injuries and
minimal fire loss can be directly attributable to an early warning by working
smoke alarms and a quick extinguishment of the fire by sprinklers.
The assisted living residence had a permit to operate,
however, it had expired just last month. A Prince
George’s County Fire Inspector issued the facility a correction order for the
expired permit and other violations that must be corrected to bring the home up
to code. Fire Inspectors will follow-up
before the home is allowed to conduct assisted living operations.
Owners of the Laurel assisted living home will temporarily
move residents and staff into a hotel until repairs can be made and code
violations corrected at the house on Snowden Pond Road.
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| A firefighter stands with one of evacuated residents of an assisted living home. |
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| A Fire Investigator talks with one of the staff from the home. |
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| Fire Investigators discuss their findings. |
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