At 4:30 am, Wednesday, July 21, 2010, Engine 829 responded to automatic fire alarm activation at the Green Valley Park School located at 2215 Chadwick Street in Silver Hill.  Upon arrival, Engine 829 found a fire that appears to have started on the exterior of a temporary classroom and extended into the structure.  Engine 829 quickly extinguished the fire and limited damage to an estimated $5,000.  Fire Investigators continue to investigate this fire and have it listed as “under investigation.”  No injuries were reported.

Just before midnight, firefighters from Silver Hill and surrounding communities were alerted to a townhouse fire in Temple Hills.  Engine 829 arrived at 2212 Anvil Lane and encountered a 2-story townhouse with fire showing from the basement.  A Task Force brought additional units to the scene as the fire was extending to the first floor.  Initial arriving firefighters advanced hoselines in an aggressive interior attack on the fire and had the bulk of the fire contained and extinguished in about 20 minutes.  One firefighter fell from the first floor into the basement after the fire had been extinguished; he was not injured.  It is believed that the hole in the weakened floor was caused by the fire in the basement.  Fire Investigators say this fire is “accidental” and estimate fire loss at $240,000.  The displaced occupants will stay with other family members.  No injuries were reported.

2319 hrs the Engine and Truck was disp for the report of house fire at 8923 Woodyard Rd. The Engine and Truck responded with 11 Volunteers, Chief 825 arrived on the scene and reported that he had a vacant house fully involved and he held it with 2 engines and 2 trucks due to it being a vacant house he was going to exterior operations only. That placed the engine in service and PSC put the engine on a transfer to company 25 to cover there first due while they were on the fire. Both units returned to service at 0112 hrs headed home.

At 2210 hrs the truck company was dispatched for a house fire at 7204 Shockley Ct in company 32's area. The truck responded with 6 Volunteers, Engine 832 arrived on the scene with smoke showing with a possible garage fire. The engine cleared the brush fire and requested to run the call and command let them due to a engine failing and responded with 5 Volunteers.The truck arrived first due and went to work opening the house open and checking for extension. The engine arrived and picked up engine 847 line and help the truck with there job. Both units cleared shortly after wards.

The Volunteer Members went to Ocean City for the  annual Maryland State Fireman convention, While some went to the meetings others enjoyed the fun in the sun. We also got the together for the annual company dinner.  Hope to see everyone next year.

While in the station with 3 Volunteer crews, Company 29 was alerted to 3500 Silver Park Dr for smoke coming from the buidling. Both Engines went on the scene with nothing showing from Side A but the ambulance went to the charlie side and found smoke showing from the top floor and advised the engine company they had a working fire. Both crews went to work finding a vacant apartment with a fire in the kitchen area, the crews made a qiuck knock on the fire and started venting until truck comapny 26 could get up there. Command Held it with Company 29 and Truck 26 until the investigators arrived.
 

Engine Company 29 runs a 2 story garage fire in company 32’s area in the 7300 block of Webster Ln.

Engine 829 was alert at 0020hrs for an AFA at 2721 Keating St., Engine arrived on the scene with light haze coming from the house. The engine crew went to investigate and once they reached the front door they were met by the home owner that advised them that kitchen was on fire. The officer requested communications to fill the box that they a kitchen fire and had the crew lay a line to the hydrant and advance a 1 ¾ line to the door and they went into find that the kitchen was fully involved and starting to come in the dinning area of the house. The crew made a quick knock of the fire and started to vent the house to get the smoke and heat out. While they were doing that they did a quick primary search and located two animals that were still in the house and removed them and gave them back to the home owner. Command had company 27 checked the second floor for extension but came up negative. Truck 26 and Tower 21 helped with checking for extension. Chief 829 had command. He held Engine 829 and the two trucks for a few minutes while we mopped up.

For the second time within 2 weeks, the Engine, Truck, and Ambulance 829 responded to a Temple Hills condominium complex and fought a 2-alarm fire which forced the evacuation of dozens of residents. On Friday evening, Engine, Truck, and Ambulance 829 were alerted at about 8:45 PM to a fire on the fourth floor of a 7-story high rise multi-family building at 3107 Good Hope Avenue. The Engine, Truck, and Ambulance 829 arrived and found heavy fire coming from a 4th floor condo with high heat and heavy smoke filling the hallways on the upper floors. The crews immediately went to work; they were met with a high volume of occupants coming do the stair well and police officers on the scene carrying a handicapped person down the stairs preventing them from getting up the stairs quickly. Once the crew made the fourth floor they got the stand pipe pack in place and started to knock the fire out. The Truck crew went to work and did a quick primary search of the fire apartment and the two adjacent to the fire apartment because of the report of people trapped the primary came up negative. The buildings fire alarm system did not activate and residents banged on doors to alert other residents of the danger. The fire was extinguished within 20 minutes. Fire Investigators continue to investigate the cause of the fire.

At about 12:30 PM, Engine Company 29 was dispatched to 3701 Good Hope Avenue a call to 911 was made to report smoke on the first and second floors. Firefighters arrived at the seven-story apartment building and soon located a fire in a first floor storage room. A second-alarm was sounded bringing additional firefighters and resources, including units from the District of Columbia Fire Department to the scene when firefighters discovered the fire had extended into the pipe chase and was running through the first floor hallway ceilings. There were 50 firefighters and paramedics on the scene. It required about 45 minutes to completely extinguish this work intensive fire as the ceilings and walls had to be opened to expose and extinguish the fire. Occupants on the first three floors were evacuated while those on upper floors were directed to shelter-in-place.