Fire Destroys Home In Frederick

The cause remains under investigation.

The cause of a house fire in Frederick on Monday remains under investigation.

Shortly after 12:00 noon, fire fighters were dispatched to a home next to 433 Center Street for a fire. “Within a minute of the fire department’s dispatch, Frederick City Police arrived on the location and had fire visible from a single story structure,” says Tom Coe, Deputy Chief of County Fire and Rescue Services.

He says fire fighters went into the home to make sure everyone was out, and to begin an attack on the fire. But they had to evacuate after a “mayday” was broadcast. “They actually were in the structure. The fire actually became pretty significantly involved in the attic area. The fire department did initially evacuate the structure, regroup and then go back in to finish the completion of the extinguishment,” says Coe.

Coe says fire fighters had the flames under control 12-minutes after their arrival,  There were no injuries.

In addition, the Rapid Intervention Team was called to the scene. “They were not needed but they were on standby if any significant events happened to a fire service member,” Coe says. “In total, there were 13 fire department apparatus with 40 fire fighters. And the cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Frederick County Fire Marshal’s Office.”

“That structure was actually a home that was used to assist medically fragile and developmentally disabled adults,” he says. “Fortunately, nobody was home at the time of the fire.

Coe says the owners of the home are looking for other places for the residents to stay.