19-Year-Old Pepco Lineman Saves Toddler in Upper Marlboro House Fire
A Pepco crew rescued a 3-year-old boy after a fire broke out in an Upper Marlboro home, according to reports.
- By Sonia Dasgupta
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- October 23, 2012
View more videos at: http://nbcwashington.com.
A 19-year-old Pepco lineman and the crew he was working with rescued a 3-year-old boy from an Upper Marlboro home on Oct. 17 after it caught on fire.
Pepco employee Ryan Callahan was upgrading electricity in a home under renovation in the 2600 block of Ritchie-Marlboro Road when he noticed the smoke, according to NBC4 Washington.
"It was pretty bad ... I have to admit the smoke was very thick, I went into the kitchen area and you couldn't see anything," Callahan told NBC's Jackie Bensen.
Callahan ran inside to help, while other crew members went to alert the homeowner, Malebogo Munamunungu, who was walking two of her children to the bus stop, Bensen reported.
Munamunungu ran back to the house when she realized her son Asher was still sleeping inside, she said. But, Callahan put out most of the fire with an extinguisher.
Asher was found safe inside.
Prince George's Fire Spokesman Mark Brady said that the Pepco crew's quick response time may have prevented a tragedy. The home was located in a rural area where branches and a narrow driveway may have delayed the firefighters response time.
According to WUSA9, Brady said "the PEPCO crew entered the home and yelled out several times to see if anyone was in the house. Hearing no response they used a dry chemical extinguisher from their truck, entered the kitchen area and were successful in knocking down the bulk of the fire."
Firefighters extinguished the remaining blaze. At this time a cause is unknown, although Brady told WUSA9 that the fire may have started in a trash can.
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