College Park Fires are Arson

Thick smoke billows from Lasicks College Inn and Liquor Store. This College Park landmark establishment is considered a total loss. Photo By: Mark Brady, PGFD   A blowtorch jet engine style flame shot out 15 to 20 feet from a broken natrual gas line during the height of the incident. Photo By: Mark E. Brady, PGFD   Firefighters were forced to evacuate the structure when conditions worsened. Soon after the evacuation was ordered, a portion of the roof and floor collapsed. No one was injured. Photo By: Mark E. Brady, PGFD

Two fires that occurred early this morning have been ruled Arson.  Prince George’s County Fire Investigators have determined that fires at the Best Western Hotel and Lasicks College Inn in College Park were intentionally set.  Investigators have not yet ruled that the two fires are related. 

The first fire occurred just before 6:00 AM, Monday, November 29, 2004, at the Best Western Hotel and EJ’s Landing Restaurant, 8601 Baltimore Avenue.  A fire was set at or near the kitchens exterior entrance to the restaurant.   The fire extended to a first floor interior hallway as well as two rooms on the second floor and second floor hallway.  A natural gas line broke during the fire and was contained by firefighters by turning off the gas line at the meter.  Three adults were rescued from their third floor penthouse.  Their egress was blocked by intense heat and thick smoke from the second floor hallway and stairwell.  Volunteer Fire Fighter Tom Slane and Volunteer Fire Fighter Robin Zevotek of the College Park Fire/EMS Station 12 effected the rescues.  A second alarm was sounded bringing 60 firefighters and paramedics to the scene.  The fire was extinguished in 20 to 30 minutes.  There were no reported injuries.  Damage estimates are $500,000.  The Hotel/Restaurant remained closed as of this evening.

The second fire occurred just before 7:30 AM a mile north of the first fire.  Personnel on the scene of the Best Western Fire noticed a large column of smoke and responded to the scene to investigate.  Public Safety Communications notified responding units that they received a 911 call reporting the fire at Lasicks College Inn, 9128 Baltimore Avenue.  A fire was set at the rear of the two-story restaurant and liquor store and had advanced to the second floor and attic.  A second alarm was sounded bringing 65 firefighters to the scene.  The fire was set near or at natural gas pipes that subsequently gave way due to the intense heat.  A blowtorch jet engine style flame of fire shot out of the pipes 15 to 20 feet vertically.  Washington Gas Company officials shut off the gas line at the street level and the fire was completely extinguished by 11:00 AM.  The structure is considered a total loss.  No injuries occurred and the damage estimates are set at $10 million.

Anyone with information about these fires is asked to call the ARSON HOTLINE at 301-77-ARSON.