Chesapeake Beach, Md. – A fast-moving fire ripped through a multi-unit apartment complex in Chesapeake Beach on Monday morning, destroying 14 homes, displacing approximately 25 people, and causing an estimated $1.5 million in structural damage, officials said.
The blaze broke out shortly before 6:36 a.m. on November 17 in the 3900 block of Gordon Stinnett Avenue. First-arriving firefighters encountered heavy flames in the building’s interior courtyard that quickly extended into the attic and through the roof, fueled by high winds and the fire’s exterior origin. “Fire was showing throughout the courtyard and had already extended into the roof when units arrived,” the Office of the State Fire Marshal said in a statement.
Every fire company in Calvert County, including the North Beach Volunteer Fire Department, responded to the three-alarm fire, with mutual aid from surrounding jurisdictions. Firefighters brought the blaze under control after several hours of aggressive exterior and interior operations. All residents were accounted for. One person was transported to an area hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries. An additional $250,000 in contents — personal belongings inside the apartments — was also lost.
Deputy State Fire Marshals determined the fire started on a first-floor balcony overlooking the courtyard. Investigators have found no evidence of criminal activity at this time, and the incident is being classified as accidental pending final determination. Strong winds Monday morning played a significant role in the fire’s rapid spread across the wooden construction of the 30-year-old complex. The American Red Cross was on scene providing emergency lodging, food, clothing, and other immediate assistance to the roughly two dozen displaced residents. The exact cause remains under active investigation by the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
Photo: Press Release from Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshall
Maryland Department of State Police