On March 14, 2023, a fire broke out at an apartment located at 6008 New Forest Court in Waldorf, Charles County, Maryland. A neighbor discovered the fire, and the primary responding fire department was the Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department.
According to officials, the cause of the fire was improperly discarded smoking materials on the apartment balcony. The apartment did not have smoke alarms or fire alarm/sprinkler systems. No injuries were reported due to the fire, but the estimated loss is $2,500 for the structure.
The owner and occupant of the apartment were Modou Sey and Laura Smith. No arrests were made in connection with the incident. It took the firefighters 5 minutes to control the fire, and 30 were involved in the operation.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of proper disposal of smoking materials and the necessity of having functional smoke alarms and fire alarm/sprinkler systems in homes and apartments.