St. Mary’s County Commissioners, & The St. Mary’s County Emergency Services: At 5:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 27, 2023, St. Mary’s County Department of Emergency Services announced a partial activation of the Emergency Operation Center in response to the report of a serious house fire in the 20000 block of Deer Wood Park Drive in Leonardtown, MD.
During the response, a firefighter from Naval District Washington Fire Department (NDWFD), based at NAS Patuxent River, was injured and transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.
A volunteer firefighter from Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department Company 1 was also transported and is being treated at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries sustained in the fire.
During their regularly scheduled business meeting, the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County immediately expressed their condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of the fallen NDWFD firefighter.
Following the meeting, Commissioner President James Randy Guy said, “This is a dark day in St. Mary’s County, and we are mourning. It has been said that in an emergency, firefighters rush in when all others rush out. We are deeply grateful for the bravery and selfless service of this firefighter and in this time of need, we ask for God’s mercy. We also want to extend thanks to the numerous fire companies from in and around the county for their response to the call for aid.”
As a sign of respect for the firefighter who lost his life, the Commissioners ordered St. Mary’s County flags to be lowered to half-staff.
Media inquiries regarding the Naval District Washington Fire Department or Naval Air Station Patuxent River be directed to Patrick Gordon, Public Affairs Officer at 301-247-8872. Inquiries regarding the investigation or operations should be directed to Master Deputy Oliver J. Alkire, Public Information Officer, Maryland Department of State Police Office of the Fire Marshal at 443-619-2192.
St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office: The women and men of the St Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office send out heartfelt condolences to the family of the brave firefighter we lost this morning in the line of duty.
We stand with our larger family of St. Mary’s County First Responders in supporting all those affected by this tragedy and honor the vital services they provide us.
Sheriff Steve Hall, and the women and men of your Sheriff’s Office
Naval Air Station Patuxent River: It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that NAS Patuxent River announces the tragic loss of one of our brave fire fighters this morning who died in the line of duty while responding to a mutual aid call of a fire in Leonardtown, Md.
Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.
Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal: State Fire Marshal Brian A. Geraci and everyone with the OSFM Team grieves for the family of the fallen Naval Air Station Patuxent River firefighter. We are dedicated and driven to provide answers to the cause of this tragic fire. We will be working with our federal partners in fire investigation, the ATF. This is active investigation and we will update ASAP.
(6/27/23 @ 1218 p.m) – Fire Investigators continue to comb through the remains of the home in Leonardtown that claimed the life of a firefighter earlier this morning. This will be an extended operation, and every resource of our agency, along with our partners, will be used to provide answers
The OSFM has 15 investigators, a quarter of our personnel, actively investigating the cause of the fire that claimed the life Naval Air Station Patuxent River firefighter.
Investigators from ATF, Official Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department Page, and Anne Arundel County Fire / Explosives Investigation Unit are assisting us. This is an active scene and will update ASAP.
