According to Mark Brady, PIO of Prince Georges (MD) Fire Department (PGFD), the contents that were on fire at the incident that destroyed two fire apparatus were located in a storage yard loaded with automobiles, wood pallets, roofing materials, propane tanks, sea containers loaded with combustibles, sheds, and myriad other combustible items. The column of thick black smoke rising from the fire could be seen for miles.
From his blog at www.pgfdpio.com:
“As initial arriving units laid hose lines and started to establish water supplies a slight and sudden shift in wind direction towards the east occurred.”
Kentland Rescue Engine 33 in quarters.
“The units had laid hoselines from the driveway but had not been picked up yet by the next arriving engine. Rescue-Engine 833 and Engine 848 were initially safely positioned several hundred feet away from the fire.”
“The wind driven fire continued to spread rapidly as firefighters did everything they could to move apparatus and utilize the water they had on-board to protect the apparatus.”
“The replacement cost for the two fire units is about $1.5 million.”
For the full story and more images from the fire, visit http://www.pgfdpio.com/2015/04/07/capitol-heights-industrial-storage-yard-fire-destroys-fire-apparatus/.
