Montgomery County Fire and Rescue units were alerted to the house fire on Hillmead Road in Bethesda (MD) on Feb. 19. Bethesda Chevy Chase Rescue Squad 741 was first due and the first unit on the scene. They reported smoke showing on arrival and requested the rapid intervention dispatch (RID) and the fire task force.
Heavy fire was encountered in the basement of the house fed by a natural gas meter. While first responding units went into fire attack mode, a 2nd alarm was ordered. Battalion 702 took command, and units from multiple battalions in the county worked the fire. A MAB (Medical Ambulance Bus) unit, the Kensington Canteen unit, and a Mobile Air Unit responded to provide rehab, hydration, and to refill air packs. An extended overhaul took place. I arrived after the 2nd alarm was struck and took photos of the units and crews on the scene.
Prince George’s County Fire Department units responded to the house fire in Berwyn Heights on Thursday morning, Jan. 29, not far from Berwyn Heights Co. 14’s firehouse. Units arrived to find fire and smoke showing from the 0ne-story home. Firefighters controlled the fire quickly.
Crews and apparatus from Berwyn Heights (Co. 14), Bladensburg (Co. 9), Hyattsville (Co. 1), Riverdale (Co. 7), Branchville (Co. 11), and College Park (Co. 12) all worked the job.
Montgomery, Carroll, and Frederick County units responded to the house fire on Kemptown Road near Damascus, Maryland on January 10. Units arrived to find heavy fire showing from the house. The fire extended into the balloon frame construction making it a challenging blaze to fight. With temps near freezing, MCFRS had their Medical Ambulance Bus respond to provide a rehab area and warmth for the firefighters. The canteen unit from Laytonsville Company 17 was on the scene to provide refreshments and hot coffee to the crews.
Dauphin and Lancaster County, PA units were alerted to the house fire in Londonderry Township (Elizabethtown, PA), Box 54-2, on Saturday afternoon (12/27/14). Units arrived to find heavy fire and smoke showing from a ranch style house. A tanker task force was assembled and a fill site was established about 3/4 mile from the fire. Tankers shuttled water continuously to the scene. Once the fire was knocked, crews located the body of a 78-year old woman in the house. Fire marshals and investigators were called to the scene and determined that the cause of the fire was accidental. More about the fire can be read on the PennLive Web site:
Here are a selection of photos from my friend Dale Feehrer of Feehrer Apparatus Photos (https://www.facebook.com/dale.feehrer.9) and myself. I happened to be visiting family in Hershey, PA when this box was toned out.
Montgomery County Fire & Rescue units from the 3rd and 4th battalions were alerted to the house fire on Paul Drive in Rockville towards the tail end of the evening rush hour on Friday. First arriving units reported the working fire with fire showing from the 2nd floor. The working fire dispatch was sounded, followed quickly by the RIT alert/alarm.
Firefighters from Rockville companies 3, 23 and 33; Kensington Company 5; and 25; and Rescue 2 (Wheaton) battled the fire. Firefighters rescued a puppy from the house and the dog was quickly returned to its owner, shaken but unharmed.
On Monday morning Montgomery County Fire & Rescue was alerted to the aircraft down/plane crash into a residence in Gaithersburg, MD. A twin-engine jet careened into the front yard of a single family house. The impact resulted in one of the jet’s wings (containing fuel) being launched into a neighboring house causing a massive fire and multiple explosions.
Firefighters launched a rescue operation but were forced to continue their firefight and attack from the exterior of the buildings. Large amounts of water and foam were applied. Multiple rescue squads and special operations units raced to the scene to provide operations and support.
Tragically three people in the jet, and three residents of the house suffering the fire were killed.
The crash is under investigation by the NTSB.
Here are some shots I took about 40-45 minutes into the incident. I also returned to the scene at night to take some photos of Rescue Squad 703 providing scene lighting for the ongoing investigation.
USAR, Technical Rescue, and Special Operations units from Frederick, Washington, and Montgomery counties, in addition to Fort Detrick responded for the person trapped in a trench on Tuesday. A contractor was buried to the waist in 10 feet of dirt and rock in a trench. Collapse and technical rescue technicians worked intensely and delicately to free the patient. Once extricated, rescue workers immediately transported the patient to Baltimore Shock Trauma via Maryland State Police Trooper 3, a medevac chopper.
The rescue operation lasted for over 3 hours. Unfortunately the patient succumbed to his injuries.
Best-
Trevor James
Trevor James photo
Trevor James photo
Trevor James photo
Trevor James photo
Trevor James photo
Trevor James photo
Trevor James photo
Trevor James photo
Trevor James photo
Trevor James photo
Trevor James photo
More on the trench rescue operation is posted on Firehouse.com:
