Several firefighters were injured battling a blaze late Friday afternoon at a two-story, single-family home in Waldorf, Maryland.
Flames were through the roof of the house in the 10000 Block of Chamberlin Court just after 5 p.m., Charles County fire officials said, and firefighters were ordered to evacuate minutes later.
“As the firefighters were evacuating, the ceiling and the roof collapsed, trapped a couple of firefighters near the front door,” Charles County firefighter Mark Kaufmann said. “They had to be assisted by other firefighters, and we had firefighters that were coming out of windows, second floor and first floor windows.”
Kaufmann said that before firefighters arrived, the four-alarm fire had advanced to the roof.
The firefighters sustained injuries from their quick exit and in an update provided on Saturday, 11 were treated for injuries that were not life-threatening and transported from the scene. That number includes two who were taken to the hospital for evaluation after returning to the station, the department tweeted.
Some 76 firefighters from Saint Mary’s, Prince George’s, Charles and Calvert counties assisted in the response.
The American Red Cross is helping the home’s residents – two adults and a child. The structure loss is estimated at $375,000 and the contents at $100,000.
Fire officials said smoke was causing visibility issues on Berry Road, and drivers were urged to be cautious around the intersection of Berry Road and Greenmont Drive.
The Maryland Fire Marshals office is investigating the cause of the fire, but it is not considered suspicious. See a map of the area below.
WTOP’s Andrea Cambron and Abigail Constantino contributed to this report.
