WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015
POMFRET, MARYLAND
Several fire departments were called to a single-story house
fire in the 8000 block of Tempo Place in Pomfret in the early morning Sunday,
leaving seven people displaced and three firefighters injured.At approximately
2:31 a.m. Feb. 22, 45 firefighters from the Bryans Road, La Plata, Marbury,
Potomac Heights, Waldorf, Indian Head and Accokeek volunteer fire departments
went to the wood-framed home, the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office
reported, after someone in the home reported the blaze. Upon arriving,
firefighters found the fire began in the attic. They controlled the blaze in
about 40 minutes.
According to the fire marshal’s report, the blaze destroyed the home, causing $100,000 in damage to the structure and $50,000 to its contents.
“The cause of the fire is still under investigation,” Deputy Chief Fire Marshal Duane Svites said. “At this point, there’s nothing suspicious about it. It was definitely a cold night.”
Svites also said the seven displaced people were assisted by the American Red Cross.
“I think there were some kids who were staying there who don’t normally live there or they go back and forth,” Svites said. “They were sent back to their normal homes, so they weren’t displaced. But, the primary occupants of that house, a man and a woman, are being put up temporarily in a hotel in Waldorf until they can figure some things out on their own.”
Svites said three firefighters, one from Marbury VFD and two from La Plata VFD, received minor burns and were treated and released at the scene.
“I believe there was also a crash,” Svites said. “One of the fire trucks had an accident on the way [to the fire] that may have generated a few other injuries. I believe it was from La Plata.”
At approximately 3 a.m., according to the La Plata VFD’s Facebook page, one fire truck was en route when it drove down a steep hill and onto an icy patch.
“There was only one minor injury as a result of the accident,” the post states. “Luckily, our members responded quickly, utilizing their constant training and a more serious incident was avoided.”
The post also states that all members of the fire truck were treated and released from the hospital.
In response to a citizen’s comment, saying the department was driving too fast, the department’s post states “other vehicles responding to the incident also encountered issues with the ice. Our members had been out all last evening, responding to a multitude of calls and were well aware of the road conditions.”
According to the fire marshal’s report, the blaze destroyed the home, causing $100,000 in damage to the structure and $50,000 to its contents.
“The cause of the fire is still under investigation,” Deputy Chief Fire Marshal Duane Svites said. “At this point, there’s nothing suspicious about it. It was definitely a cold night.”
Svites also said the seven displaced people were assisted by the American Red Cross.
“I think there were some kids who were staying there who don’t normally live there or they go back and forth,” Svites said. “They were sent back to their normal homes, so they weren’t displaced. But, the primary occupants of that house, a man and a woman, are being put up temporarily in a hotel in Waldorf until they can figure some things out on their own.”
Svites said three firefighters, one from Marbury VFD and two from La Plata VFD, received minor burns and were treated and released at the scene.
“I believe there was also a crash,” Svites said. “One of the fire trucks had an accident on the way [to the fire] that may have generated a few other injuries. I believe it was from La Plata.”
At approximately 3 a.m., according to the La Plata VFD’s Facebook page, one fire truck was en route when it drove down a steep hill and onto an icy patch.
“There was only one minor injury as a result of the accident,” the post states. “Luckily, our members responded quickly, utilizing their constant training and a more serious incident was avoided.”
The post also states that all members of the fire truck were treated and released from the hospital.
In response to a citizen’s comment, saying the department was driving too fast, the department’s post states “other vehicles responding to the incident also encountered issues with the ice. Our members had been out all last evening, responding to a multitude of calls and were well aware of the road conditions.”