Prince George's County firefighters rescued a family of four from a three-alarm blaze at an apartment complex in Suitland Wednesday morning.
Crews responded to the garden style apartment building at 5621 Regency Park Court around 6:30 a.m. and found heavy fire showing from the rear of the structure, according to a department press release.
Officials said the fire appears to have originated in a terrace level apartment and extended through the upper floor and into the roof.
The first arriving ladder truck from Silver Hill Station 829 rescued the family from a top floor balcony using a ground ladder.
The four family members attempted to escape down a center stairwell, but encountered intense heat and thick smoke and decided to wait on the balcony until firefighters arrived.
It took 90 firefighters and 25 pieces of apparatus about 45 minutes to bring the fire under control.
One firefighter suffered a minor injury and didn't seek medical attention.
No civilian injuries were reported.
Fourteen apartment units were declared uninhabitable and 31 residents were displaced.
An initial estimate of damages is $250,000 and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
