La Plata Firefighters Assist In Virginia Apartment Fire That Injured Child, Displaced Families

KING GEORGE, Va. — On Wednesday morning, July 23, 2025, La Plata Volunteer Fire Department crews crossed into Virginia to assist in a multi-agency response to a significant apartment fire in King George County that injured a child and prompted reports of others trapped inside.

Truck 1 from La Plata was dispatched for mutual aid and arrived to find smoke and fire pouring from a two-story apartment complex in the 17000 block of Cooks Place. With access limited, the Maryland crew positioned on the rear (Charlie side) of the structure and began immediate operations.

As Virginia first responders initiated rescue efforts, La Plata’s outside crew laddered the rear of the building and performed vertical ventilation, cutting holes in the roof to release heat and smoke. Inside, La Plata firefighters split to search both levels of the impacted apartments and opened up walls and ceilings to assist engine companies in containing the blaze.

In a dramatic scene, one infant was reportedly thrown from a ground-floor window by an older sibling in an effort to escape the fire. The child was assessed by EMS on scene and was not seriously injured. All other occupants made it out on their own with minor injuries. One child was transported to Mary Washington Hospital for minor burns.

Crews from Caroline, Stafford, Westmoreland, Charles County (Md.), and Dahlgren joined King George Fire and Rescue in the coordinated response. La Plata’s crew remained on the scene for several hours before being redirected to a separate vehicle crash on Radio Station Road while returning to the station.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by local authorities.