Townhouse Fire in the
Sentry Woods Subdivision

January 5, 2004 0150hrs:

Communications received a 911 call from the occupants of a townhouse on King James Place reporting the front of their residence was on fire. Within minutes, Engine 33 arrived on scene with a two-story townhouse with heavy smoke and fire on the outside with extension into the residence. The crew quickly advanced a 1¾" preconnect line into the residence and found a bedroom on second floor heavily involved in fire. The fire was controlled in about 5 minutes with no extension into the neighboring townhouses. The fire was investigated by the Maryland State Fire Marshals Office, who then requested the Metropolitan Arson Task Force to respond to the scene. The Task Force was requested because the origin of the fire appeared to have started outside the residence and had characteristics in nature to the serial arsonist plaguing the Washington DC area. The fire was determined by the Task Force to be accidental in nature due to an overloaded electrical socket.

Waldorf Responding Units: Engine 33, Engine 32, Rescue Squad 3, Engine 122, Ambulance 129, Safety 3, and Chief 3.

Mutual Aid Units: La Plata Truck 1, Hughesville Squad 2, Engine 23, and Ambulance 28, Brandywine Engine 402, Baden Engine 361, and Accokeek Tower 24.

Photos Courtesy of Safety 3, John Durrer