The smell of soot lingers in a Bowie, Maryland, neighborhood the morning after a house fire left one man dead.
A fire broke out on the second floor of a house in the 11000 block of Elon Drive around 9 p.m. on Tuesday night.
“When firefighters arrived, they found a well-advanced fire on the second floor that extended up into the attic space,” said Alan Doubleday, a spokesman with Prince George’s County Fire and EMS.
Firefighters pulled an injured man from the house. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died. Two other adults were able to get out.
Prince George’s County firefighters knocked on neighbors’ doors Wednesday morning to share fire safety tips and make sure homes have working smoke alarms.
They hope these efforts could prevent future fires from turning deadly.
“It’s more important for us to really reach out to this community and show them that, yes, we’re here, and we just want to make sure this doesn’t happen to them,” Doubleday said.
‘Look out for each other’: How to protect your family in a house fire
Doubleday recommends that homeowners check their smoke alarms at least once a month.
“That smoke alarm is so vital to buy that added extra time to be able to just get you and your family out of the house safely,” Doubleday told WTOP.
The Prince George’s County fire department will install smoke alarms for free to residents.
“If anyone needs a new smoke alarm or they need a home escape plan, they can call us 24 hours a day at 301-583-2200,” Doubleday said of his department.
In case of a fire, Doubleday said to make sure exits are clear and that the home doesn’t have any locks that require special skills.
“Talk to your kids, make sure they know how to get out of the house,” he said. “They have two ways to get out of every room, where that meeting point is going to be.”
He urged people to avoid going back into a burning home, warning of the potential dangers such as carbon monoxide poisoning.
“Once you get out of a house, you get out and stay out,” Doubleday said. “We have so many unfortunate incidents in Prince George’s County and across the nation where homeowners try to go back in to retrieve a pet or … personal belongings, and they just don’t make it out.”
Doubleday also asked residents to look out for vulnerable community members such as elderly homeowners.
“If you’re able, check on your neighbors as well, knock on their door, make sure that they’re aware of what we’re doing out here and that the resources are available,” Doubleday said. “Check their smoke alarm for them once a month. It’s really important that we look out for each other.”
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