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8:30 p.m. Update Despite Rescue, Fire Victim Dies At Hospital Cause of 2nd-Alarm Equivalent Blaze Listed As Accidental Update: Firefighters Go Through Neighborhood of Fatal Fire; Check Smoke Detectors and Distribute Batteries & Fire Prevention Information Photos From The Fire Photos From Community Awareness Effort Hyattsville, Sunday August 24, 1997 Despite a valiant rescue by firefighters and efforts by emergency medical crews to revive her, the victim of yesterdayŐs second-alarm equivalent house fire in Hyattsville has died at Washington Hospital CenterŐs MedStar Burn Unit. Maude Blake, 51 of Jamaica, was pronounced dead at 11:33 a.m. from severe smoke inhalation and burns, hospital officials said. Ms. Blake was staying with friends at the house at 6112 42nd Avenue in Hyattsville when the fire broke out Saturday shortly after Noon. Units arrived within two minutes of the 12:06 p.m. call to find heavy fire conditions on the first and second floors and several reports that Ms. Blake was trapped inside. Without the protection of a hoseline, Volunteer Deputy Chief Charles Ryan of the Riverdale Volunteer Fire Department found Ms. Blake in a second-floor bedroom within several minutes of the fire departmentŐs arrival. Vol. Lt. Marshall Davies, Vol. Sgt. Jeff Werth, Career F/F Mickey Cole and Vol. F/F Chris Hebert, all from the Hyattsville station, assisted Ryan in removing Ms. Blake through a second-floor window onto the roof and down a ladder to awaiting emergency medical crews in front of the house. Ms. Blake was not breathing and had no pulse as crews immediately started CPR on the roof of the house before bringing her down the ladder. County paramedics and emergency medical personnel from the College Park and Hyattsville stations were able to revive Ms. Blake while enroute to Prince GeorgeŐs General Hospital in Cheverly, where she was stabilized and then transferred by helicopter to MedStar Saturday afternoon where she remained in critical condition until she passed away this morning. No injuries to firefighters were reported. A second woman was treated on the scene after being overcome with emotion. She did not require treatment at a hospital. Prince GeorgeŐs County Fire Investigators have initially listed the cause of the fire as accidental - a iron that ignited combustible materials nearby - and damages at about $45,000 to the structure and its contents, although that figure could rise to above $100,000 according to Chief Vince Harrison of the Riverdale Volunteer Fire Department. The fire took about 20 minutes to bring under control. Additional units were called to relieve crews due to the intensity of the fire. Approximately 50 firefighters from Hyattsville, Riverdale, Mount Rainer, Cottage City, Brentwood, College Park, Chillum-Adelphi, Berwyn Heights, Branchville, Bladensburg, Silver Spring (Air Unit) and the PGFD responded. 8:30 p.m. Update Almost two dozen volunteer and career firefighters and emergency medical personnel from the Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department and City of Hyattsville police officers checked smoke detectors in about 100 homes and apartments tonight in the neighborhood surrounding the location of Saturday's fatal house fire on 42nd Avenue. Firefighters exhausted their anticipated supply in just over an hour, distributing 40 smoke detectors with batteries and 24 batteries for existing smoke detectors to those residents whose detectors did not operate. Tonight's effort is part of a program already being planned at the Hyattsville VFD to check smoke detectors throughout the community beginning Fire Prevention Week this October. The goal is to educate residents about the importance of knowing how to be fire safe in the home and ensure that a smoke detector is installed and working properly. For those residents who do not have a working smoke detector, the fire department will provide one free of charge or provide a replacement battery. The official program will be kicked off at our annual Open House on September 27th at the firehouse. Copyright 1997, Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. Updated August 24, 1997 |
