Report from Firefighter/Paramedic Marc Fischer
Howard County Department of Fire & Rescue Services PIO
At approximately 8:30 PM on Thursday, September 12, firefighters and paramedics from Howard County (MD) Department of Fire & Rescue Services (HCDFRS) were dispatched to the 8900 block of Town & Country Boulevard in Ellicott City for an apartment fire.
Initial reports by callers to Howard County’s 911 Center reported residents trapped and hanging out the window in an apartment above the fire. Since the apartment complex is located close to the Howard County/Baltimore County border, a number of units from Baltimore County were are dispatched to the scene.
First-arriving units found heavy smoke billowing from the ground floor apartment in which the fire was located. In addition, the interior stairwells were also smoke-filled.
Two residents and their two service dogs were assisted to safety by firefighters through the interior stairwell. They were uninjured and refused treatment by paramedics. Firefighters performed an extensive search of the other apartments in the building to ensure all residents were accounted for.
It took approximately 20 minutes for firefighters to place the fire under control. Firefighters then checked each of the other apartments in the building to ensure the fire had not extended beyond the initial apartment. Crews remain on the scene removing smoke from the building, and building maintenance is also on scene to assist the residents.
There have been no firefighter injuries.
At this time, one apartment is expected to be declared uninhabitable, and those residents are being relocated to another apartment in the complex. Several other apartments sustained minor smoke damage, but they are not expected to be posted by fire officials.
HCDFRS investigators are on scene, and they have just begun their work to determine the cause and origin of the fire. Damage estimates are not available at this time.
