At 4:11 a.m. on January 18, 2005, Hughesville Engine 23 & Tanker 2, Benedict Tanker 5 and Waldorf Truck 3 were alerted to respond mutual aid to Saint Mary’s County for a house fire at the intersection of Oaks Road and Gershwin Road.

Hughesville Engine 23, under the direction of FF Jack Lowe, was the first arriving unit to find a two story garage fully involved with fire. Defensive operations were initiated due to the danger of collapse. Golden Beach’s Engine 224 arrived next and established a water supply. Fire crews placed two 1 3/4″ handlines and one 400 foot’ 2″ handline in service to extinguish the large volume of fire.

Water Supply Group was established by Mechanicsville’s Engine 21 at the Charlotte Hall Wa-Wa on Three Notch Road and the units ran a tanker shuttle from Wa-Wa to the scene.

At about 5:00 a.m., the fire was considered under control by Incident Commander Bobby Johnson, Mechanicsville’s Chief 2. Hughesville’s Engine 23 remained at the scene and assisted with overhaul and the fire investigation until about 5:52 a.m. Charles County Tankers 2 and 5 and Truck 3 were released at about the time the fire was placed under control.

The fire is currently under investigation by the Maryland State Fire Marshals Office.