Maryland Tanker Fire

[fftrainer]

Paging Chief Woods.... Paging Chief Woods...

A little more detail and perhaps some pictures please sir!

MD Tanker Fire

[MalahatTwo7]

I think that area is served by Berwyn Heights FD, but of course Harve will correct me if wrong LOL. It was the very first story I coherently heard on the radio news this morning. The big comment here is that everyone is trying to get out of the city for the long weekend.... Going to be some nasty traffic snarls for a few more hours I think. There was also a report of MVA on 95 south near Dunfries at the same time causing traffice tie-ups.

I was thinking of heading out somewhere this weekend; maybe I'll just stay home instead

[CJMinick390]

It's fine to travel this weekend, 27. Just don't go anywhere until early Thursday morning and make sure you're back by mid day Saturday. Oh, and by the way, stay away from any shopping malls.

[CaptOldTimer]

Just another day at work. With all the traffic that goes around the beltway, and up and down I-95, this incident even as big as it was, is going to happen at one time or another. This is like the fifth incident like this in the I-95 area between Northern Virginia and Delaware in the last few months.

[backdraft663]

Courtesy the Watch desk

[DaSharkie]

Me and the Mrs. were going to drive up to Mass. to see her family. Would have had to get on 95 until we hit around Arlington. Traffic would have sucked.

At least we get off of 95 there and scoot over through Gettysburg, PA/Harrisburg to get onto 81. Less traffic, prettier drive, and saves $19 on tolls.

[hwoods]

Trainer, Chief Woods got paged all right, at 04:43!! I got 8 more pages in about 15 minutes. (Group pages to our senior Command Staff) I made a quick call to our Operations Center, and decided to remain available to cover any succeeding event. I got lucky in that there were no other calls that needed anyone above a Battalion Chief after that. (I'm a Division Chief) I am a veteran of Beltway Tanker Fires over the 40+ years that the Beltway has been there. This one was a good case study in a reasoned, calm approach. The Fire had reached the Cargo Tank when the First Engine from Station 41 (Beltsville) reached it from their station about a mile away. The Brothers at 41 are real quick, and we're sure the tank was compromised before the Engine hit the street. Since it was an Aluminum Tank, with a LOT of Fire, in a wooded area with no life hazard, Command opted to let it burn down to a small area before mopping up. With this approach to managing the incident, we only committed a couple of units above a single box alarm. That negated the need for extensive covering moves, and we maintained a very manageable incident. Most important thing of all was that there were ZERO injuries. And That is something that we would like to have every day. One TV Station did, in my opinion, a very needless bit of overeacting, by reporting that there were no other ways to get to BWI Airport, when in fact there are at least 4 other routes that get you there just as quick. One bit of good luck, the driver stopped in a fairly isolated area. If he had stopped a mile prior to the place that he reached, the Fire would have severely exposed a large Garden Apartment Complex and Station 41 as well. Approximately one inch of rain had fallen in the previous 36 hours, so the wooded area where the truck stopped did not ignite. All in All, I'm quite proud of the job done by the folks who responded to that incident.

[DaSharkie]

One TV Station did, in my opinion, a very needless bit of overeacting, by reporting that there were no other ways to get to BWI Airport, when in fact there are at least 4 other routes that get you there just as quick.

Chief, you mean to tell me that the press was wrong? I am shocked and in utter disbelief.

Sounds like a good call, let it burn and be safe. Shut the road down to p!ss off the troopers and keep everyone safe.

[britfan1]

Awesome job Chief! I knew if I checked the forum, I'd find a post by someone with the inside scoop on the incident. Saw the news footage, and it looked spectacular...Figured you guys had it well in hand though!

[hwoods]

A friend advised that there are pictures on "The Watch Desk" as well. Log on at www.thewatchdesk.com then go to Forums, Then Maryland, Then Prince Georges County, then there are a couple of incident threads to browse. "Action Pics", in particular.

[MalahatTwo7]

Good job folks. This story even made it as far as Roanoke, where this morning, I had the privilage of meeting Fireflietz and some of the guys from Stn 1. (this of course was on the return trip from TN.)