11-Year-Old Girl, Home Alone, Critically Injured by
Smoke Inhalation in Joppa Fire
January 30, 2015
All photos courtesy Joppa-Magnolia
VFC
UPDATE – From the Office of the
State Fire Marshal:
HARFORD COUNTY, MD (January 30,
2015) – Deputy State Fire Marshals were requested to investigate the origin and
cause of a fire that injured a 11 year-old female located inside a 42’ fifth
wheel recreational camper at the rear of 1114 Mountain Road in Joppa.
The unconscious victim was located
by firefighters in the rear bedroom and quickly transported to Upper Chesapeake
Medical Center in critical condition with smoke inhalation injuries. She was
subsequently transported to The Johns Hopkins Hospital for continued treatment.
The 12:58 a.m. fire was observed by
a passerby whom notified the Harford County Emergency Operations Center.
Approximately 25 firefighters responded from Joppa- Magnolia, Abingdon,
Aberdeen Proving Grounds, White Marsh and Kingsville Volunteer Fire Departments
and quickly placed the fire under control. One firefighter received a hand
injury during the incident and was treated and released from Upper Chesapeake
Medical Center.
Investigators determined the parents
of the youth were both at work at the time the fire occurred. The origin and
cause for the fire remain under investigation at this time.
UPDATE – From the Joppa-Magnolia
Volunteer Fire Company:
Joppa, Maryland (January 20, 2015) –
One civilian was rescued by volunteer firefighters in an early morning
recreational camper fire.
At 1:00 am, the Joppa-Magnolia
Volunteer Fire Company (JMVFC) was alerted by the Harford County Emergency
Operations 911 Center to an unknown fire in the area of Pulaski Highway (US-40)
and Mountain Road South (SRT-152). A fire engine responded within 2 minutes,
staffed with 6 volunteer firefighters. At 1:05 am, a Harford County Sheriff’s
Deputy reported a recreational vehicle on fire in the 1100 block of Mountain
Road South, Joppa. A report that there may be trapped occupants was received
and additional resources were requested. In addition to more JMVFC apparatus,
fire engines from the Kingsville Volunteer Fire Company, White Marsh Volunteer
Fire Company (WMVFC), Aberdeen Proving Ground Fire Department and Abingdon Fire
Company were sent to assist. Paramedic units from the Abingdon Fire Company and
Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company were also sent.
Because the camper was not on a main
road, the fire engine could only get within 300 feet. Firefighters used fire
hoses and water from the fire engine to start extinguishing the fire while
other firefighters began to search for trapped occupants. An unconscious 11
year old female was located in the rear bedroom inside the camper. She was
removed by JMVFC firefighters and turned over to waiting JMVFC paramedics. The
patient was not breathing. The JMVFC paramedics initiated advanced life support
measures which included performing CPR on the patient. She was taken by JMVFC
paramedic unit in critical condition to the Upper Chesapeake Medical Center
(UCMC) in Bel Air. Firefighters from the WMVFC assisted in the transport.
After being stabilized at UCMC, the
patient was transferred to the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for
continued treatment. One JMVFC firefighter received a minor hand injury. He was
treated and released from UCMC. A total of 43 personnel operated at this fire,
which was brought under control in about 20 minutes.
The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s
Office was responded to determine the fire’s cause and origin, which remains
under investigation.
A haz-mat unit from the Harford
County Department of Emergency Services was dispatched for firefighters to have
a warm place for rehabilitation on the scene. This is typically done in the
winter months or during inclement weather.
Over the summer, JMVFC firefighters
conducted live fire training on recreational vehicles. That training helped
prepare firefighters for this type of incident. The skills they learned were
displayed by the positive outcome this morning.
