Firefighter Declares Mayday, Man Rescued in Greenbelt Fire Wednesday

It took Prince George's County firefighters 30 minutes to battle a large fire Wednesday afternoon in Franklin Park apartments.

According to Prince George's County Fire/EMS Spokesman Mark Brady, firefighters reported to the scene of the two-floor apartment fire in the 9100 block of Edmonston Terrace around 4:30 p.m.

A video attached to this post shows the extent of the fire.

When the firefighters arrived, they had to rescue a man from his apartment using a ladder. At the time, the fire was burning on the front side of the two-story garden style apartments, Brady said. The man was not injured.

A second alarm was sounded, bringing about 50 firefighters and medics to the scene, but Brady said the fire spread to the roof and the rescuers were evacuated.

Firefighters extinguished the bulk of the flames from outside before returning indoors to complete the job, he reported.

Although one firefighter declared a mayday after he was separated from his crew, the firefighter was immediately found and was not injured, Brady said.

Twenty families in the building where the fire originated were displaced, he added, although no injuries were reported.

Brady said the fire was accidental and attributed to a malfunctioning furnace. Damage is estimated at $250,000.

Editor's Note: This story has been corrected. An earlier version called the apartment complex by it's previous name.