Crime & Safety
Firefighters Rescue 2 Trapped Kids, Credit Smoke Detector
A family was alerted to a kitchen fire by a smoke detector. Call 311 if you need smoke detectors and can't afford one; they're free.
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A smoke detector likely woke up nine family members when their kitchen caught fire, allowing several residents to escape, while firefighters rescued two children.
Prince George’s County Fire officials say children ages 3 and 6 were rescued from their burning Fairmount Heights home early Wednesday. Just before 3 a.m., they were called to the house in the 5100 block of North Englewood Drive with a report of children trapped in the blaze.
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The first crew on the scene from the Chapel Oaks Fire/EMS Station 838 split up to search for the youngsters, while the other team tackled the fire.
The search/rescue firefighters each located a child in the first-floor living room, which is next to the burning kitchen. The children were immediately treated by medics, then taken to a specialty center for children for evaluation of smoke inhalation injuries. Both children are expected to make a full recovery, authorities said.
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Other family members – including the children’s parents and siblings -- escaped the home before firefighters arrived. Two residents, a 19-year-old and a 14-year-old, were taken to area hospitals for evaluation.
The home had working smoke alarms, which fire officials say likely alerted the family to the fire. While the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, it appears the fire started in the kitchen. Damage is estimated at $30,000.
Having a working smoke alarm increases the chances of surviving a home fire by about 50 percent, the department says. Having a planned and practiced home escape to accompany that working smoke alarm is also crucial to survival. A family escape plan should include two ways out of every room in your house and a designated meeting place once safely outside of your home.
If you need a working smoke alarm and cannot afford to purchase one, call 311 and ask about the Safety First Smoke Alarm Program. A firefighter will come to your home and install one for you, at no charge.
»Photo from Prince George’s County Fire Department
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