One occupant suffered burns & was medivaced.
Frederick, Md (KM) Fire fighters from multiple companies responded to a house fire in the Frederick area Tuesday morning.
Battalion Chief Kevin Fox with County Fire and Rescue Services says personnel responded at 4:00 AM to the 5900 block of Mount Phillip Road. “First units arrived and found fire through the roof, and quickly went to a defensive operation,” he says. “That’s an operation where we attempt to extinguish the fire from the outside as we determined it was unsafe to go in.”
In addition, a tanker task force was established to bring water to the scene as there were no hydrants in the area.
Fox says it took fire fighters about an hour to extinguish the bulk of the fire.
“A total of six adult occupants were displaced and are being assisted by the American Red Cross,” he says. “One adult patient was treated and transported with burn injuries by Trooper 3 to Bayview Burn Center in Baltimore.” Trooper 3 is the name of the State Police helicopter based in Frederick County.
Fox also says a few fire fighters suffered minor injuries due to falling on the ice. “Frequently, at this time of year, with us using water and such, it creates a hazard on scene. And we rely a lot on our roadway maintenance crews to come out and help provide salt and help make our scene safer.”
But, he says, there are other challenges fighting fires in extremely cold weather. “We have to rotate crews through a lot. It’s takes a lot more manpower because we’re working outside. They become wet. When they get outside, hypothermia can set in. So we need to quickly rotate crews in, and also try to keep them warm in some manner,” says Fox.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Fox says the house is considered a total loss.
By Kevin McManus