Fire at a men’s shelter in Waldorf on Friday was reportedly caused by an unattended portable electric heater. According to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, the fire at the Changing Point shelter at the Kingdom City Word and Worship Center on Billingsley Road was reported at 10:30 a.m. by occupants living at the shelter. The occupants observed smoke coming from the air ducts in the office of the dormitory.
According to Deputy State Fire Marshal John Ray, “Firefighters arrived and discovered a small fire burning within a dorm room.” After investigation he reported, “Fire and Safety code violations were observed during the investigation and the building was subsequently placed on a 24/7 fire watch until the violations are corrected.” According to Ray a smoke alarm was in the room “but the battery had been removed.” The fire alarm did activate but the sprinkler system did not.
Damage as the result of the fire was estimated at $2,500 to the building and $500 to the contents. It took 40 volunteer firefighters from Waldorf, La Plata, Tenth District and Bryans Road fire departments just five minutes to bring the blaze under control.
