A two-alarm fire ripped through a Glen Burnie apartment complex early Wednesday, injuring two Anne Arundel County firefighters and displacing 37 people from their homes.
Justin Davidson, 25, was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was treated for cuts and bruises, examined for possible internal injuries and discharged Wednesday afternoon, officials said. Debbie Sosnoski, 50, was taken to Baltimore Washington Medical Center, treated for neck and back injuries and released shortly after.
Fifty-four firefighters responded to the 2:30 a.m. fire at Woodside Apartments and subdued the blaze by 4 a.m., said Lt. Alex Makris, a fire department spokesman. Eleven apartments were damaged, but no residents were injured, he said.
Joy Martinez, 24, rented the top-floor apartment at 7834 Woodside where the fire started. She said she didn?t even realize there was a fire in her home because she and her two children, ages 2 and 8, were in a “deep sleep.” A neighbor had to knock on the door to wake her up, Martinez said. She awoke to find her ceiling fan in flames, she said.
“There was my house,” she said, pointing to the charred frame.
Several residents said they?d heard the fire was caused by an electrical problem with a ceiling fan, but Makris said the cause was still under investigation.
The manager of Woodside Apartments did not return calls seeking comment.
On Wednesday afternoon, the building was condemned and unit residents were forced to move out. Many apartments on the top level of the unit were severely damaged, and units on the bottom had smoke and water damage, Makris said. Residents hurriedly packed up clothing, bedding and electronics and loaded them into pick-up trucks and cars. Burned siding and jet-black rubble lined the perimeter of the building.
The Red Cross was on the scene providing food and shelter for the victims. Some residents said Woodside Apartments was also offering to relocate them to other units in the complex.
Renita Laureano, who lives on a bottom-floor apartment, said she was one of the few victims of the fire with renter?s insurance. “I luckily do have personal insurance, but not everyone does,” she said, organizing her belongings so a team of contractors could pack them up.
Martinez wasn?t so lucky. “I?m 24 and a single mother ? I don?t know anything about renter?s insurance,” she said.
