Two Alarm Fire in the 3-3 Box

 
By Board Member Pieter Lucas
December 17, 2008
 

A fire in the 3-3 box early this morning caused minor injuries to the homeowner. At 07:28, the alarm was sounded for a house fire in the 12300 block of Benson Branch Road. The caller advised there was a fire in the garage, bringing Engine 31, Tanker 3, Tower 3, Paramedic 35, and Rehab 1 from WFVFD and many units from surrounding stations.
Chief 5A was first arriving and reported a working fire in the garage with fire coming from the garage's roof. Engine 31, first arriving engine, stretched an attack line to side B of the structure for a quick exterior attack and then continued into the structure to knock down the seat of the fire. The crew from Paramedic 35 pulled a crosslay through the front entrance of the structure on side A and attacked the fire through the door leading from the garage to the main part of the house in order to keep the fire contained to the garage.
Tanker 3 was used for water supply, and Tower 3's crew was assigned salvage and overhaul duties.
The homeowner attempted to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher prior to the arrival of the fire department and was examined for minor smoke inhalation on the scene, where he refused treatment and transport. Units from the Office of the Fire Marshal were on scene to investigate the cause of the fire, and units cleared at 10:15.

 
Units: Engine 31, Tower 3, Tanker 3, Paramedic 35, Rehab 1
 
Mutual Aid: Various units from Howard, Carroll, and Montgomery Counties