PG County Firefighters Pull Screaming Couple From Burning House

CAPITOL HEIGHTS, MD -- A Capitol Heights couple -- surrounded by flames and screaming for help -- is safe now thanks to the actions of Prince George's County firefighters over the weekend.

Firefighters sprang into action at around 10 p.m. on Sunday after a house fire was reported in the Boulevard Heights area with 911 reports of occupants trapped inside, according to a report from the Prince George's County Fire Department.

Firefighters arrived at a single-family home in the 4000 block of Byers Street that had heavy flames showing, likely due to a fire that started in a detached shed next to the house that extended into the main house.

A police officer who was first on the scene told the fire officer-in-charge that he could hear two occupants yelling for help from the second floor, the report states. The officer had tried to rescue them, but was forced back by the thick smoke and intense heat.

"The crew knew that time was of the essence as heat and smoke continued to build up in the house," the report states. "The crew split up and deployed a charged hose line to initiate extinguishment of the fire and allow access to the interior stairwell. Two other crewmembers, including a firefighter and the crew officer, in full personal protective equipment, ascended the stairwell following the screams for help."

Firefighters found a man near the top of the stairwell and removed him via the interior stairwell. A firefighter who remained on the second floor continued the search and found a woman in the bedroom.

"The firefighter carried her out to safety, again, by way of the interior stairwell," the report continues. "Both rescues were made possible due to the stairwell being made tenable by the firefighter operating the initial hose line."

Both victims were taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze in about 20 minutes.

“All the firefighters did an excellent job on the rescue and extinguishing the fire," Firefighter/Medic Lieutenant Kris Demattia, the officer-in-charge, said in the statement. "Two more minutes and the outcome could have been very different.”

Fire loss is estimated at $25,000. No other injuries were reported.

Image via PGPD