UPDATE 4/25/2024: On Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at approximately 3:55 a.m., firefighters from Second District and surrounding departments responded to 17581 Whitestone Drive in Tall Timbers, for the reported structure fire.
Crews arrived on the scene to find a two and a half story residence fully engulfed in flames threatening two nearby residences and a one story detached garage.
The fire spread quickly due to the constant wind from the Potomac River.
A second alarm was requested which brough 80 firefighters from St. Mary’s, Charles and Calvert County to the scene. Crews worked tirelessly for over an hour and 30 minutes to extinguish the house fire and multiple nearby brush/tree fires while protecting all nearby residences.
The owner/occupant is identified as Douglas Hallgren with the estimated loss of structure and contents valued at $1,100.000.00, and contents of $200,000.
The homeowners were awakened by the activation of the smoke detectors inside the home. They found fire on the front portion of the home. The occupants were able to exit through the back of the home.
There were no injuries as a result of the fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Anyone with any information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Southern Regional Office, at 443-550-6835
4/24/2024: On Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at approximately 3:55 a.m., firefighters from Second District, Bay District, Leonardtown, Hollywood, and NAS Patuxent River were dispatched to the 17500 block of Whitestone Drive in Piney Point, for the reported structure fire.
The first 911 caller came from an alarm company who advised smoke alarms were going off with the homeowner confirming a fire inside the residence.
Multiple callers and neighbors called reporting the house was fully engulfed in flames.
Firefighters arrived on the scene to find the entire residence on fire threatening three nearby structures with the wind spreading the fire to nearby brush, trees and yards.
A second alarm was requested which brought firefighters from every St. Mary’s County fire department along with firefighters from Calvert and Charles County.
80 firefighters from all three counties responded and controlled the fire in approximately one hour.
Two nearby residences suffered damage but were ultimately saved by our first responders.
No injuries were reported and the homeowner was able to escape without injury.
Firefighters had previously just responded to this residence at 8:15 p.m., on Tuesday, for a residential fire alarm 911 call which came through the alarm company.
The Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal responded and is investigating. This is the second 2-alarm fire for St. Mary’s County within 24 hours.
Updates will be provided when they become available.
