Around 100 residents are receiving support after a fire tore through a three-story building in College Park, Maryland, on Monday morning, leaving most of the structure heavily damaged. Prince George’s County Fire and EMS told WTOP that the extent of the flames caused part of the roof to collapse. An aerial survey from a Maryland State Police helicopter showed much of the building’s upper floor had been reduced to a charred wreckage. Two adult residents were hospitalized with minor injuries, according to fire department officials. No firefighters were reported hurt. The American Red Cross said its disaster action team members were aiding around 100 residents affected by the fire on Monday afternoon, from an estimated 37 units. Volunteers were on-scene providing food, water, financial and other assistance to families. The Prince George’s County fire department later said on social media that between 50 and 60 people were displaced.
Approx 8:10am #PGFD units were dispatched to the 10100 block of Baltimore Ave in College Park for a reported structure fire. On scene crews found a 3-story multi-family dwelling w/fire showing through roof. A second alarm has been sounded. @mcfrs w/mutual aide. PIO on scene. pic.twitter.com/1izL45W9uy
— Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department (@PGFDNews) August 21, 2023
Crews were called to the 10100 block of Baltimore Avenue shortly after 8 a.m., according to the fire department. By 8:30 a.m., a second alarm had been sounded and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue joined the effort to extinguish the flames. A third alarm was called around 9 a.m. to bring in additional firefighting resources. In all, more than 150 firefighters responded to the blaze. There is no word on the cause of the fire. According to the fire department, the bulk of the fire was extinguished by 9 a.m. Officials said crews will likely remain on the scene for several more hours to make sure nothing reignites. Prince George’s County fire officials told WTOP that they do not believe the building is affiliated with the University of Maryland, but that some students have housing there. The move-in period at the university starts on Aug. 24 and ends Aug. 27. WTOP’s Luke Garrett contributed to this report. Editor’s note: An earlier headline on this story misstated the number of residents displaced by the fire. About 40 residents have been displaced. A total of 100 residents were receiving aid from the Red Cross.