Fishing Creek Apartment Fire Victims Seek Accountability

CHESAPEAKE BEACH, Md. — Residents of the Chesapeake Beach apartment building that suffered substantial fire damage and displaced more than 25 people stepped up with a message: this isn’t the first time, and things need to change.

Fire crews were dispatched at 6:36 a.m. to the 3900 block of Gordon Stinnett Avenue on Nov. 17, where they arrived to find heavy fire showing from the roof of a two-story apartment building, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal. All occupants were accounted for, but 14 units were damaged and more than 25 residents were displaced.

“We’re well aware that this is not the first time that this has happened,” Town Administrator Dr. Samelia Okpodu said at the beginning of the public hearing on Nov. 20.

“We are very thankful no lives were lost this time. The town is aware of the concerns and is working closely with the county to figure out how we can make the necessary changes, from the standpoint of the town, when it comes to a privately owned housing development.”

The property manager of the Courtyards of Fishing Creek is TM Associates Management Groups, Inc., which manages 17,800 units across 401 properties in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Florida.

Several residents of the Courtyards of Fishing Creek apartments attended the meeting to share their stories and concerns. Longtime resident Kelvin Dunn has been living in the apartments since 2014 and witnessed the first fire at those same apartments in 2019. Two people died in that fire.

“This is probably the third property manager I’ve been dealing with,” Dunn said. “But this one has been a little rougher than any of them. There’s no accountability. There’s no accountability to get things repaired, or get things done.”

Dunn described having Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) plugs that sparked in his apartment. He says he brought the issue to the attention of the property management. Dunn said he’d also raised concerns with the Town Council, Mayor Bruce Wahl and the Southern Maryland Tri-County Community Action Committee in the past.

“I have some questions I would like to get some answers to, but mainly I want some accountability brought to this area, because enough is enough,” Dunn said.

Another resident, Adrienne Foote, said that the management has always been “lackluster” and that many residents got used to not calling when things were in need of servicing or repair.

Foote said she emails management when she notices something around the property and that she’s found management “not always readily available to respond, nor do they respond in an adequate timeframe.” Foote said she’s seen electrical boxes fall off the back of her building during her time living there, and uneven steps at one of the buildings are a fall hazard.

Mayor Wahl said he was familiar with the building and some of the issues facing the lower-income residents living there — many of which have been ongoing in the decades since the complex was built.

“We need to do what we can. We need to make it better,” Mayor Wahl said.

Residents and officials credited the response of local volunteers with helping to make sure no lives were lost during the fire. Chief Stanton of the North Beach Volunteer Fire Department said his station had 40 personnel show up, despite it being a workday, and had several high school cadets attempt to leave school to come down to help.

The Town Council also honored Zachary Hansen, who was the first to notice the fire and ran around the building knocking on doors to alert residents.

The investigation into what caused the fire is ongoing.

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