A blaze in a townhouse was controlled by an automatic residential sprinkler system and the resident escaped injury after being talked out of her residence by 911 operators.
The early morning fire on Sept. 24, occurred at 11820 Edmont Place in Waldorf.
Deputy State Fire Marshals determined the accidental fire began in the garage of the townhouse and broke through the interior wall into the living room.
The occupant was awakened by the smoke alarm and discovered smoke throughout her bedroom. After calling 911, the frightened 27-year-old woman was instructed to feel the door and exit the townhouse through the inside stairwell.
Investigators were able to determine that once the fire spread into the living room, a sprinkler head activated, controlling the fire and prevented it from spreading further through the dwelling.
Forty firefighters from Waldorf, La Plata, Accokeek, Brandywine, Baden, Bryans Road and Hughesville responded to the scene where the fire was essentially extinguished.
Residents to the remaining townhouses were able to reoccupy their homes. Damages to the townhouse where the fire originated are estimated at $50,000.
According to State Fire Marshal William E. Barnard, this incident highlights one of many benefits of an automatic sprinkler system. “A single sprinkler controlled the fire prior to the firefighter’s arrival and is clearly the reason this blaze did not reach catastrophic proportions.”