Halfway Responds To House Fire With Entrapment

On the evening of October 7th, crews from Halfway responded out just after 1900 hrs to assist Hagerstown Fire Department on a House Fire on Noland Drive. As units responded, Washington County 911 received reports and advised units of possible entrapments. The Medic Unit from Halfway arrived to find smoke coming from the second floor of the two-story house at 1036 Noland Drive with the family outside reporting two children still inside the residence in a second floor bedroom. Hagerstown Battalion Chief arrived and established command requesting the Safety Assignment started along with addition EMS units for several patients.

Firefighters arrived and quickly entered the structure with one crew conducting search and rescue for the trapped children and another crew advancing an attack line to extinguish the fire. Firefighters were able to quickly locate the children in a front bedroom and were able to quickly extract both of them from the house to the awaiting EMS crews within five minutes of fire departments arrival on the scene. The second interior crew conducting the fire attack quickly located the fire in a back bedroom and had a quick knock on the blaze keeping the fire contained to the bedroom and its contents. Firefighters remained committed on the scene for an extended period checking for hotspots and further extension as well as assisting Hagerstown City Fire Marshals on the scene.

Two adults and two children were transported to Meritus Medical Center from the scene. The two children were stabilized at Meritus and later transferred to Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C. due to the severity of their injuries; one adult was transferred to Bay View Burn Center in Baltimore for their injuries, and the other adult remained at Meritus Medical Center for treatment of their injuries. The children involved were in critical condition at Children’s for several days, but later succumbed to their injuries. Both adults have since been released after treatment for their injuries.

Personnel from Halfway responded on the incident with our Engine, Tower, and two Medic units that evening. Our personnel performed above and beyond on the call. Our thoughts go out to the family on their devastating loss. Thank you to the crews from Williamsport Fire & EMS who transferred into our station to cover the community of Halfway while our crews were committed on this incident and a special thanks to all the CISM personnel who were there for all the first responders on the scene and hospital staff involved with the care of those transported.

The cause of Thursday evenings fire remains under investigation by the Hagerstown Fire Marshal’s Office with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Hagerstown City Fire Marshals is requesting anyone with and information or any photos or videos of Thursday evenings incident to please contact their office at 301-790-2476 or email them at FIREMARSHAL@hagertownmd.org.

This unfortunate incident is a reminder of the importance of having working Smoke Alarms in your home. For those in the Halfway area in need of Smoke Alarms please visit our website www.vfchalfway.org/smoke-detectors to make a request for assistance with your smoke alarms or contact our Fire House at (301) 582-2223 Ext.117 and we will get back to you as soon as possible.