On Saturday, February 14th at approximately 5:50 p.m., the Chestertown Volunteer Fire Company and surrounding mutual aid departments were dispatched for a reported Structure Fire with Entrapment in the 6900 block of Pentridge Lane. The residence is located off Broadneck Road, southwest of Langford.
Kent 911 began receiving multiple calls reporting an explosion followed by a fire. Deputy Chief 6, while responding from the Kennedyville area and observing a significant smoke column, requested a Working Fire Dispatch, a Tanker Task Force, a fire boat from Queen Anne’s County, the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, and the power company. Due to ice conditions in the river and surrounding creeks, fire boats were ultimately unavailable.
A Working Fire Dispatch brings additional specialized equipment and personnel to supplement manpower, equipment needs, and rehabilitation efforts. The Tanker Task Force adds additional tankers and an engine company, with the engine typically assigned to the tanker fill site. In this incident, Kennedyville Engine 4 established a fill site at “Paper Mill Hill” (Cochran Glass parking lot). During warmer months, the nearby river and creeks would provide ideal drafting locations; however, ice buildup made that impossible.
First arriving units from the Kent County Sheriff’s Office and Kent County EMS reported a two-story dwelling fully involved in fire, with apparent signs of an explosion. Deputy Chief 6 established Command shortly after arrival. Due to the heavy fire conditions, structural instability, and uncertainty with sustained water supply, the decision was made that no interior operations would be attempted.
Squad 6 completed a split lay using large diameter hose, This process involved Squad 6 laying large diameter supply hose up the lane from the roadway to the scene. Queen Anne’s Engine 55 then laid supply hose from a separate water source location to the point where Squad 6 began its lay, connecting the two hose lines together through Engine 55. This configuration allowed water to be supplied over an extended distance in our rural response area. Squad 6 then deployed a single 2.5” attack line to begin knocking down the bulk of the fire.
Queen Anne’s Officer 503 established Water Supply operations. Water Supply and Tanker operations were moved to a separate talk group to allow coordinated shuttle operations without interfering with fireground communications. In total, over 100,000 gallons of water were used from the domestic water system in Chestertown. We understand this may have temporarily caused discoloration in portions of the water system. As operations were winding down, a water main break occurred in the 100 block of Flatland Road. Chestertown Water Utilities remained on scene most of the morning making repairs.
Family members on location advised that one person was unaccounted for. Crews remained on scene until approximately 3:30 a.m. on February 15th assisting the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office with scene lighting and other operational needs.
Out of respect for the family and the integrity of the investigation, we will not release the status of the missing individual. Any information regarding the victim or cause will be released by the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office. We respectfully ask our community not to speculate, assign blame, or engage in insensitive commentary. This is an incredibly difficult time for the family, and they deserve privacy and compassion.
During this incident, Goodwill Fire Company transferred an engine to our station and handled two fire alarms within our first due area while standing by, ensuring continued coverage for our community.
We would like to thank all assisting agencies for their professionalism and coordinated effort during this challenging incident.
Chestertown Volunteer Fire Company
Rock Hall Volunteer Fire Company
Kennedyville Volunteer Fire Company
Betterton Volunteer Fire Company
Millington Volunteer Fire Company
Galena Volunteer Fire Company
Church Hill Volunteer Fire Company
Crumpton Volunteer Fire Company
Sudlersville Volunteer Fire Company
Goldsboro Volunteer Fire Company
Greensboro Volunteer Fire Company
Goodwill Fire Company
Kent and Queen Anne’s Rescue Squad
Kent County EMS
Kent County Office of Emergency Services
Kent County Sheriff’s Office
Maryland State Police
Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office
Maryland State Highway Administration
Delmarva Power
