On Sunday, July 13, 2026, at approximately 9:10 p.m., firefighters from Charles and Prince George’s County responded to the 4000 block of Ray Drive in La Plata, for the reported structure on fire.
911 callers reported fire coming from the roof with unknown occupants inside.
Firefighters arrived on the scene to find a large one story machine shop with smoke and fire showing.
Crews made entry to find a fire inside the building with extensions to the exterior. A working fire dispatch was started which alerted additional firefighters to the scene.
The fire was placed under control within 15 minutes.
After consulting with the Maryland State Fire Marshal, the cause of the fire was deemed to be accidental and due to lithium ion batteries on a work bench.
One firefighter was evaluated for a leg injury on the scene. One adult male was transported to an area hospital with unknown injuries.
The lithium ion batteries were secured by the Charles County Department of Emergency Services HAZMAT team. Crews operated on the scene for approximately 2 hours before returning to service.
This is the second fire this week to be caused by Lithium Ion Batteries.
All photos courtesy of the Bryans Road Volunteer Fire Department.
