Two early morning fires -- one ripping through an apartment complex west of Annapolis and the other engulfing a truck hauling thousands of gallons of gasoline -- left Anne Arundel County firefighters scrambling for help yesterday.
More than 80 firefighters from Anne Arundel, Queen Anne's County and Annapolis battled the fires throughout the early morning. Only the truck driver was injured; he was in stable condition late yesterday at Prince George's Hospital Center.
The first fire, which destroyed six apartments, started at 2: 30 a.m. at the Riva Commons Condominium Apartments in the 2700 block of Riva Road near Parole, authorities said.
The four-alarm blaze is believed to have started in a third-floor apartment.
Flames crept through the attic of the building, making it difficult for firefighters to locate and isolate parts of the blaze.
Eventually, the fire shot through the roof of the building.
Fire walls in the building prevented the flames from spreading to other sections of the complex.
But the fire burned for more than 2 1/2 hours before the 57 firefighters at the scene could bring it under control.
The American Red Cross helped relocate the families, as firefighters assessed the damage and cause of the blaze.
The other fire began about 3 a.m., when an 8,800-gallon tanker truck overturned and burst into flames at the intersection of Ritchie Highway and U.S. 50 outside Annapolis.
The driver, Merton T. Smith, 45, of Littlestown, Pa., sustained back injuries.
He was taken to the trauma unit at Prince George's Hospital Center. Smith's truck, southbound on Ritchie Highway, failed to negotiate the ramp leading to U.S. 50. The trailer containing the fuel broke away from the truck as it overturned.
The trailer rolled over, landed in a ravine and burst into flames. The fire forced the closure of eastbound U.S. 50 for about three hours while firefighters allowed the gas to burn.
"We just let it burn out," said Lt. Bob Rose, spokesman for the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. "The Department of the Environment said that it would be better to let it burn off so we wouldn't have the spill problem from the gasoline."
MDE and the State Highway Administration also responded to the truck accident, ensuring the flames did not grow out of control and endanger surrounding areas.
Pub Date: 3/07/99