Fire damages East Riverdale apartment building, displaces 12 people

Twelve people were forced from their homes after a late-night fire ripped through a three-story apartment building in East Riverdale, leaving six adults and six children displaced and sending one adult to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Fire crews reached the 5400 block of 56th Place around 11:53 p.m. on June 9 and found flames coming from the third floor.

The Prince George’s County Fire Department said the building housed several families, and firefighters contained the blaze after it spread from the third floor. Fire investigators also responded to the scene, and officials had not released a cause by June 10.

For the displaced families, Prince George’s County says emergency shelter placement is organized through the Homeless Hotline, which can be reached at 888-731-0999 or 301-864-7095, and help is available 24 hours a day. The American Red Cross Southern Maryland Chapter serves Prince George’s County with emergency disaster relief for local families, and the county lists a Red Cross contact at 301-559-8500.

The broader accountability trail runs through the county’s complaint and permitting systems. Prince George’s County directs renters and neighbors to file housing complaints through PGC311 or by calling 3-1-1, and the county also maintains permit history searches by street address and inspection history by permit number. That record trail is often where questions about maintenance, safety issues and code compliance begin after a fire.