A resident trapped on the second floor of a burning duplex in Hagerstown's north end was pulled to safety through a window early Monday, then taken to Meritus Medical Center by ground ambulance after weather made a medical helicopter unavailable. The fire broke out around 3:30 a.m. at 709 Forrest Drive, bringing Hagerstown and Longmeadow crews to the scene.
As reported by DC News Now, the resident was hospitalized with burns after the blaze tore through the structure.
Crews deployed a ground ladder to reach the trapped man on the second floor, bringing him down safely through the window, Daily Voice reported.
Weather Grounds Medevac, Forces Ground Transport
Weather made aviation unavailable for the medical flight, so crews transported the patient by ground ambulance instead. The patient received emergency treatment at Meritus Medical Center in Washington County.
The patient received emergency treatment at Meritus Medical Center in Washington County.
City Condemns Fire-Damaged Duplex
Fire Contained to One Side Firefighters managed to contain the blaze to the second floor of one side of the duplex.
The Forrest Drive fire came after another multi-alarm duplex fire in the 400 block of Clarendon Avenue displaced 11 residents on October 4, according to earlier Daily Voice reporting. The two incidents were eight days apart.
Echoes of a Fatal March Blaze
The Forrest Drive rescue also recalls a fatal fire in March, when a blaze on South Prospect Street killed a 50-year-old woman and critically injured a 17-year-old who was also pulled from the structure by Hagerstown firefighters, the Office of the State Fire Marshal reported. That fire marked Washington County's first fire fatality of 2026, and Hoodline's earlier coverage reported that the teen remained hospitalized.
Maryland law requires residential dwellings to maintain working smoke alarms on every level and in all sleeping areas, with battery-powered units required to use 10-year sealed, non-removable lithium batteries, per the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Property owners who fail to comply face fines of up to $1,000.
The Hagerstown Fire Department offers free smoke detectors, including installation, for residents of one- to three-family homes through its Prevent the 911 community risk reduction initiative, according to the City of Hagerstown. The program is designed to ensure every living floor in city homes has working fire detection.
Under the city's emergency dispatch protocols, fire engine companies routinely co-respond alongside ambulances to high-acuity medical emergencies, providing immediate advanced life support and rescue assistance, the City of Hagerstown notes. That cross-training often puts fire personnel first on scene during severe trauma or rescue calls, as was the case early Monday on Forrest Drive.
