Prince George’s County Fire & EMS Department released the following information: In the early morning hours of November 24, 2024, Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department responded to a devastating house fire in the 3400 block of Webster Street in Brentwood.
The fire occurred in a two-story duplex residence, prompting a swift response from Engine 801B (Hyattsville) and other units.
Firefighters launched aggressive fire suppression efforts upon arrival and discovered a deceased individual inside the home.
In the incident, firefighters made a quick response, arrival time, search and discovery of the victim, all in under 6 minutes.
Timeline of Events:
- 12:39 a.m.: Fire/EMS units were dispatched to the structure fire, including Engine 801B, PE844, PE830, PE702, TK809, TK834, TK812, A844, BO884, BO886, and VDC.
- 12:42 a.m.: Ambulance 844 (Chillum) arrived, conducting a scene assessment and confirming the fire.
- 12:43 a.m.: Engine 801B (Hyattsville) arrived and began fire suppression efforts.
- 12:43 a.m.: Paramedic Engine 844 (Chillum) also arrived at the scene.
- 12:44 a.m.: Engine 801B located and removed the deceased victim.
- 12:49 a.m.: The fire was extinguished, with firefighters reporting significant hoarding conditions inside the residence.
Ongoing Investigation:
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Prince George’s County Office of the Fire Marshal. The identity of the deceased is being withheld pending autopsy results. Investigators noted that the home presented extreme hoarding conditions, which may have contributed to the intensity of the blaze.
This tragic fire comes just over a month after another fire was reported at the same address on October 18, 2024. During that incident, firefighters found a fire on the front porch but reported no injuries.
Community Outreach:
On November 24th, the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department conducted fire safety outreach in the neighborhood. Officials discussed fire safety with residents, offered escape planning assistance, and distributed free smoke alarms.
11/24/2024: The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 1619 stated the following below, and released the following information on a Facebook post.
Prince George’s County Professional Fire Fighters & Paramedics Association released the following information:
- “The Brentwood Community is mourning the loss of one of its residents following a house fire on Webster Street.
- The closest fire engine failed to respond due to Prince George’s County reallocating staffing at the beginning of summer, a direct result of Prince George’s County Fire/EMS failed hiring practices.
- While neighboring jurisdictions have adequately hired to address operational needs Prince George’s County has not.
- The Fire/EMS department continues to rely on outdated modalities for hiring. Prince George’s county even goes as far as intentionally violating the municipal code for their hiring purposes.
- It’s past time for Prince George’s County to take the hiring of firefighters seriously. Having enough staffed fire trucks is a life and death proposition.
- Anything less than the full weight of county government on hiring to staff this fire and EMS department should be considered a failure of leadership.”
On June 28th, The City of Greenbelt, along with the Town of Berwyn Heights, City of College Park, Greenbelt Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad, Inc., and other plaintiffs, filed a lawsuit against Prince George’s County, Maryland, and Fire Chief Tiffany Green. The lawsuit, titled Town of Berwyn Heights et al. vs. Prince George’s County, Maryland, et al., sought a declaratory judgment and included a motion for temporary and preliminary injunctive relief to prevent the implementation of the summer staffing plan.
On Monday October 21st, 2024, the case was dismissed by Judge for the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County. The Town of Berwyn Heights appreciates the dedication of the volunteer and career firefighters serving our community, and is committed to partner to ensure that there is a robust fire service that meets the needs of its residents with our municipal partners and stakeholders.
“The Berwyn Heights Fire Station has gone from a 100% in-service rate prior to the removal of career firefighters to an 84.2% in-service rate.
This drop is due to the station routinely going Out of Service during the hours of 7am and 3pm Monday-Friday when volunteers are unable to provide daytime coverage of the station while at work or school.
The daywork career crew of county firefighters had provided staffing of the station during these hours for over 50 years prior to their removal in June 2024 as apart of the Summer Staffing Plan.
The station has remained fully staffed during the “normal” volunteer hours from 3pm-7am Monday-Fridays and all day on weekends and holidays.”
SMNEWSNET has reached out for additional comments and information, updates will be provided when they become available.
As of October 11th, 2024, according to county documents, the Prince George’s County Fire / Emergency Medical Services Department needs 1,224 sworn employees in both minimum staffing and non- minimum staffing positions to provide adequate, effective, and efficient services in its mission.
