Firefighters Injured, Family Displaced in Shelly Court Blaze
No other injuries were reported.
Photos
Two firefighters were injured and a family was displaced when flames gutted a two-story home on Shelly Court in Bowie early Sunday.
Prince George’s County firefighters responded to a call for a house fire on the 8500 block of Shelly Court just before 1 a.m. Sunday to find flames extending through the roof of the home.
Prince George’s County Fire Department (PGFD) Spokesperson Mark Brady said the fire is believed to have started in the garage of the two-story home before extending to the attic and roof, reported the Gazette.
Two firefighters sustained minor injuries in while battling the blaze. One firefighter fell about one story and another sustained burns to her hand, according to the Gazette. Both were treated at local hospitals and released.
The family was able to escape the home uninjured, though they have been displaced by the fire. Brady estimates damages to the home at $200,000.
There have been an unusual number of house fires in Bowie in recent weeks. This fire on Shelly Court is the fifteenth house fire in Bowie in the past nine months. The majority of the fires, according to PGFD Fire Chief Marc Bashoor, have been accidental.
The cause of Sunday's fire has not yet been determined.
Concerned Bowie Resident
9:09 am on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
THis brings up a question, how do you know if the indoor fire sprinkler system installed by the builders is operable? Does the fire department check these?
Jenni Pompi
9:10 am on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Sprinkler systems are checked when homes are built, as part of the inspection process, but I'm not sure if they must be inspected regularly to ensure proper functioning. I can look into that.
Lynn
9:34 am on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
The house probably had a SMART METER. The neighbors do. SMART METERS have caused fires all over the world...THAT IS A FACT. They are not UL listed and are being installed by poorly trained people with quotas to meet. Beware the terme term "Electrical Fire". In the fire forensics world it has become a catch all phrase for "We don't know exactly how the fire or exactly where it began". Fire investigators only go as far as determing whether or not it was arson. These meters are about MONEY for power companies. 3.4 billion $ of stimimulus money was granted through DOE to power companies and in some cases was donated to politicians. Exelon gave a lot to the DGA run by O'Malley. Both parties have their hands dirty however. These meters also interefer with other wireless devices in the home including alarm systems. I could go on and on. Read Consumer's Digest Investigative Report "Why Smart Meters Might Be a Dumb Idea".
Also Maryland Smart Meter Awareness web site. Opt out at smartmeterdeferral@bge.com. The psc has given us unitl July 1.
Jenni Pompi
9:35 am on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Per the Maryland Fire Marshall and PGFD there have been no recorded smart meter fires in either Bowie or in the entire state of Maryland.
http://bowie.patch.com/articles/high-rate-of-accidental-house-fires-in-bowie-unusual-says-fire-chief
StThomasForever
10:52 am on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
You are right. Pepco had 15 smart meters to overheat because the meters are being hooked up to wiring that cannot handle it. The Baltimore Sun and the Philadelphia newspapers have done articles on it. I hope BGE is taking precautions as well.
George Karadimas
12:32 am on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
The way to PREVENT FIRES from SMART METERS is NOT to Have one attached to your Home , Residence or Business.
The way to accomplish that is to Get your Maryland Delegates to support the NO FEE OPT-OUT HOUSE BIL HB1038 Introduced by Delegate Glen GLASS.
Sign The Petition to support HB1038 Here www.tinyurl.com/HB1038
"Petition Background
The Bill pertains to establishing a NO FEE PERMANENT opt OUT , from the Smart Meter/Grid Program being rolled out by the Maryland Electric Utilities BGE, PEPCO & Delmarva"
George Karadimas
12:32 am on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Support Permanent OPT-OUT House of Delegates BILL HB1038
http://signon.org/sign/maryland-house-bill-1038?source=c.fwd&r_by=7048862
NO smart Meter...No Smart Meter Fire ever.
Lynn
9:34 am on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Please excuse my typos in the previous post. There is a petition on line to support a NO FEE OPT OUT bill currently in the Maryland legislature. Here is the link:
http://signon.org/sign/maryland-house-bill-1038?source=c.fwd&r_by=7048862
Rebecca Hanna-Diener
12:33 am on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
http://www.scribd.com/doc/110338574/Memo-to-Commissioners-Re-Fires-10-6-12-PUBLIC
Rebecca Hanna-Diener
12:33 am on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?page_id=1280 Are smart meters brands all that different?
Concerned Bowie Resident
9:21 am on Saturday, February 23, 2013
Thank you all for post on Smart meters, but what was the response from PGCFD regarding ensuring sprinkler system is operable? Much like smoke detectors and CO 2 meters are checked, how is a homeowner to ensure the originally installed system is operable. This home is in my neighborhood and although not the same builder was built around the same time.