5/11/2026: On Saturday, May 9th, 2026, just before 3:00 a.m., firefighters were dispatched to 49808 Airedele Road in Ridge, for the reported house on fire with occupants trapped.
Crews arrived on the scene to find heavy fire showing from the two-story multi family residence and confirmed all occupants, and three pets were out of the home.
Over 60 firefighters responded to the scene and controlled the fire in 2 hours.
The fire caused an estimated loss of $450,000 to the structure, and over $100,000 in contents.
Smoke alarms were present, and activated.
The cause of the fire, which originated at the rear exterior of the residence, remains under investigation. In addition to the damage to the home, seven vehicles were destroyed by the fire.
Seven adult occupants escaped without injury and are receiving assistance from the American Red Cross, as well as support from family and friends.
A GoFundMe has been started and be assisted, or shared by clicking here.
The family (3 men, 4 women) are looking for clothing donations in the following sizes:
Mens size Large
Womens sizes ranging from Medium to XL and 3XL
Donations can be dropped off on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5-6 pm at the entrance Great Mills High School sports fields. Donations can also be dropped off to the main office at Great Mills High School during the school day.
5/9/2026: On Saturday, May 9, 2026, at approximately 2:58 a.m., firefighters from Ridge, NAS Patuxent River, NAS Webster Field, Bay District, Second District, Leonardtown, and Hollywood, along with police and emergency medical services responded to the 49000 block of Airedele Road in Ridge, for the reported house on fire with occupants trapped.
Dispatchers advised they were receiving multiple 911 calls reporting the house was on fire with occupants possibly trapped and going back into the residence to rescue pets.
Crews arrived on the scene to find a two-story residence with heavy fire showing, and confirmed one occupant was attempting to run back inside to save a pet.
Firefighters were able to safely remove a dog and adult female away from the house and entered to find fire throughout the first and second floors with extensions into the attic.
Due to the area being a non-hydrant area, crews battled water supply issues for approximately 30 minutes until a draft site could be completed at Drury’s Marina. While battling the flames, crews were forced to evacuate from the residence multiple times due to no water, and a complete collapse of one side of the residence.
Additional crews from Seventh District and Solomons were dispatched as part of the “Working Incident Dispatch”
69 personnel responded and operated on the scene for over 5 hours. the fire was placed under control around 4:30 a.m.
The fire displaces seven, with the American Red Cross responding to assist.
The Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire. This is the fourth working fire in the past 48 hours for the Southern Region.
One dog and one cat were able to escape. The fire completely destroyed the home, seven vehicles and caused heat damage to a nearby shed/property.
A GoFundMe and ways to assist the homeowners/occupants will be added when details become available.
A huge thank you to ScanMD.org, and the Ridge VFD Associates who provided drinks, snacks, waters, and breakfast to firefighters and EMS.
Updates will be provided when they become available.
