Joelle Fredman
WMAL.com
UPDATE 3:00 PM : Fire is under control.
Update Berwyn House Road College Park – fire under control. Still many hot spots that will require PGFD presence throughout the evening pic.twitter.com/nk6zIaZ3JT
— Mark Brady (@PGFDPIO) April 24, 2017
COLLEGE PARK – (WMAL) Prince George’s County firefighters responded to a five-alarm fire at an apartment building under construction in College Park, which shut down the University of Maryland campus for the day due to poor air quality and left one firefighter lightly injured.
The fire began shortly before 10 am. Montgomery County, Anne Arundel County, Howard County and DC firefighters were soon called in to help.
Prince George’s County Fire and EMS Spokesman Mark Brady called this incident “one of, if not the largest fire suppression efforts in County history.”
PGFD @mcfrs @AACoFD @HCDFRS @dcfireems working at https://t.co/RlSFLIhgqF. Many other jurisdictions covering empty PGFD stations 5th Alarm pic.twitter.com/DJBRVdZyQU
— Mark Brady (@PGFDPIO) April 24, 2017
Video shows the roof of the mixed residential/commercial building at 4700 Berwyn House Road on fire and hidden under a cloud of dark smoke.
Brady reports that the fire came from the fifth floor of the building and rose to the roof.
PGFD Master Stream Devices placed into service pic.twitter.com/Fp3wGRmpDG
— Mark Brady (@PGFDPIO) April 24, 2017
Fire continues to burn on roof of https://t.co/YXYrhNM1sP mixed used residential/commercial building under construction in College Park pic.twitter.com/Kbi4UrmpgK
— Mark Brady (@PGFDPIO) April 24, 2017
PGFD. Evacuation Tones for one side of building pic.twitter.com/OpnoJnUp5b
— Mark Brady (@PGFDPIO) April 24, 2017
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer said the building is in danger of collapse.
The building, Fuze47, was under construction and set to open in June. Pre-leasing began in February.
The building is slightly off the University of Maryland campus.
Copyright 2017 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (photo: Mark Brady)
