Coral Hills bathroom fire displaces six, cause under investigation

Six people were forced out of their Coral Hills home Saturday after a bathroom fire broke out in a three-story house in the 1200 block of Benning Road, sending Prince George’s County Fire and EMS crews to the scene and leaving county emergency managers to help the displaced residents find immediate support.

Firefighters were dispatched at about 4:39 p.m. on April 11, 2026, and quickly extinguished the small fire in the first-floor bathroom, officials said. No injuries were reported. Fire investigators remained on scene as they worked to determine what sparked the blaze.

The Prince George’s County Office of Emergency Management provided assistance to the six residents after the fire. OEM handles county emergency response coordination and recovery support, which can become the difference between a short disruption and a night of uncertainty when a home is suddenly unlivable.

Bathroom fires can move fast because of the room’s mix of heat, electricity and moisture. In multi-family buildings, small hazards can escalate when outlets are overloaded, cords are damaged or heat-producing devices are left too close to towels, curtains or toiletries. Residents can lower the risk by unplugging hair dryers and straighteners after use, keeping space heaters out of bathrooms, replacing frayed cords and reporting flickering lights, warm outlets or tripped breakers before they become larger electrical problems. Landlords should keep wiring, exhaust fans and smoke alarms in working order, and renters should report defects immediately rather than waiting for a repair request to cycle through the building.

Prince George’s County residents can also request a free smoke alarm and fire safety inspection through the county’s 311 service, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. That program can help households in apartment complexes, townhomes and single-family houses check alarms, identify missing devices and catch fire risks before they send families out of their homes.

For the six Coral Hills residents displaced on Benning Road, the fire ended without injuries but still turned an ordinary evening into an emergency response, a reminder that in dense housing, a small bathroom fire can ripple quickly through an entire household.