A large, multi-million dollar home in Annapolis has been destroyed in an early morning fire. Around 3:30 this morning, Anne Arundel Fire Communications was notified by an alarm monitoring company of a fire alarm sounding in a residence in the 900 block of Childs Point Road, Annapolis. Around the time of that call, an additional 911 call from a neighbor reported flames visible from the residence.
All images © 2015 Anne Arundel County Fire Department
The first arriving company reported a large, single family dwelling with fire on the first and second floor and roof. Due to the size of the house (16,000 square feet), volume of fire and the area lacking fire hydrants, a second and third alarm were requested. Firefighters made efforts to search the dwelling but were pushed back by high heat, a collapsing floor and failing roof structure. A fourth alarm was later requested, bringing a total of 85 firefighters to the scene from Anne Arundel County, Annapolis City and the Naval Academy.
The first units arriving on the scene received conflicting reports about the status of the occupants of the dwelling; some reports indicating that they were home, and others suggesting they were out of town. After interviews with family, it has been determined that six members of the family are not accounted for. Continuing active fire in the dwelling and the concern of the stability of the structure prohibited placing personnel inside the structure today to begin a search for occupants.
The fire was declared under control in just over three hours; however units remained on the scene extinguishing hot spots for another ten hours before scaling back operations for the night. An engine company and Anne Arundel County Police will be remaining on location through the night.
The Anne Arundel County Fire/Explosive Investigation Bureau will be the lead investigating agency for the incident. Investigators were unable to enter the structure today due to the same active fire and structural integrity issues that prevented an earlier search for occupants. There are currently no indications that this fire is suspicious in nature. It is anticipated that the financial loss from the fire will be in the millions of dollars. Due to the size of the dwelling and the number of people not accounted for, assistance has been requested from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Response Team. This will bring resources and additional fire investigators to assist in the investigation.
Activities on the scene will resume on Tuesday morning. No additional information will be released prior to that time.
Source: AACoFD
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