A predawn fire at a La Plata nursing and rehabilitation center displaced 32 residents and sent one person to the hospital early Friday, according to Charles County Volunteer Fire and EMS.
Crews were called to Green Acres Nursing and Rehab at 10200 La Plata Road at approximately 4:12 a.m. Aug. 28, arriving to find flames showing from the rear of the building and fire burning in the attic. A county deputy first discovered the fire. As firefighters attacked the blaze, residents were initially moved to another wing of the facility; with dozens of people inside, officials called for a second alarm and a mass casualty response, bringing a total of 55 firefighters to the scene.
Firefighters from Waldorf assisted the primary response from La Plata, helping evacuate residents and working to gain access to the attic before shifting to ventilation and overhaul. Command reported the fire under control within 20 minutes, though smoke conditions persisted throughout the building’s third floor as an EMS task force evaluated evacuated residents. Officials said no residents or staff were ever in danger and all were accounted for. Crews remained on scene for roughly three and a half hours.
One resident was transported to a hospital after being injured during the evacuation; no other injuries were reported. The fire’s smoke alarm system activated, but the fire alarm and sprinkler system did not, according to the county’s incident report. The facility, a 170-bed, for-profit nursing home that has been certified for Medicare and Medicaid services since 1977, has an occupancy rate of roughly 95%, according to a nursing home ratings directory.
Investigators have identified the attic as the area of origin and an electrical event as the preliminary cause, though the county’s report notes the fire remains under formal investigation. Officials estimated the loss at $100,000 to the structure and $25,000 to its contents.
No arrests were reported in connection with the fire. Charles County Volunteer Fire and EMS asked anyone with questions to call 410-414-3600.
