HAGERSTOWN — The Hagerstown Fire Department on Thursday was still investigating the cause of a Wednesday night fire that destroyed a vacant house at 231 Summit Ave., Deputy Fire Chief Ron Horn said.

The fire was reported at about 9:50 p.m. Wednesday, Horn said. No one was injured, he said. About 60 firefighters from all six Hagerstown fire stations responded to the fire along with Community Rescue Service, the Emergency Air Unit and the Washington County Emergency Rehab Unit, Horn said.

Companies from Halfway, Maugansville and Longmeadow covered the city while the Hagerstown Fire Department was busy with the fire, he said. The fire traveled quickly through the floors and walls of the two-story wood frame house, Horn said. It took firefighters about 45 minutes to get the fire under control, he said.

“The firefighters did an excellent job of knocking it out quick,” Horn said, adding that if the fire had started later at night, it might have been more serious. Firefighters remained on the scene until about 2 a.m., and the Hagerstown Fire Marshal was on the scene until about 7 a.m., Horn said. The fire caused extensive structural damage to the first and second floors, destroying a set of stairs, he said. The house shares a common wall with the neighboring 233 Summit Ave., which had some smoke damage, he said. Horn said there was no evidence that anyone had been living in the house.

Story by:  Marie Gilbert  Photo by: Kevin G. Gilbert | Staff Photographer

HAGERSTOWN — Julianna Albowicz crawled across the floor of a small building — some spots so narrow one might begin to feel claustrophobic. Moving on her hands and knees, it was difficult to get her bearings, difficult to see what was just inches in front of her. But time was crucial.

The house was on fire, rooms were filling with smoke and people were trapped. Albowicz, outreach coordinator for U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., doesn’t moonlight as a firefighter. But this weekend, she had an opportunity to experience the risks and challenges firefighters face on a daily basis. Albowicz was among a number of dignitaries, elected officials and media representatives who participated in Fire Operations 101, sponsored by the Hagerstown Fire Department and Hagerstown Professional Firefighters Local 1605.

The event, which began Friday night and continued through Saturday afternoon, was held at the local fire department’s training academy on Bowman Avenue. According to Hagerstown Fire Chief Gary Hawbaker, Fire Ops 101 is an international program designed to give elected officials and community leaders an opportunity to walk in the boots of a firefighter. It also provides participants with a better understanding of staffing, training and equipment needed to do the job, he said.

This is the second time the program has been offered. The first class was held several years ago, Hawbaker said. About 10 people participated in this year’s Fire Ops 101. Friday night’s session included speakers and a chance to experience search and rescue by crawling through a maze located in a training facility building. While there was no smoke or fire inside the structure, participants were told to use their imagination, especially when crawling in darkness. You quickly got an idea of how dangerous the situation would be, Albowicz said.

On Saturday, participants suited up, were divided into teams and made their way through a number of 30-minute stations, including vehicle extrication and CPR. They also had an opportunity to drive a fire engine and tiller a ladder truck on a course; participate in a firefighter mayday where they would rescue a downed firefighter; and help put out a live fire. Two professional firefighters were with each team at all times, Hawbaker said.

“This has been quite an experience,” Albowicz said. “I’ve always known this wasn’t an easy job. But now, I have even more admiration for what firefighters do.” She also has an appreciation for the protective clothing they wear and the equipment they carry. “This gear is really heavy,” she said. “Sometimes, it’s difficult to move.” Albowicz said she will take the information she learned from the weekend program and share it with Mikulski. “You can read about what firefighters do, but you don’t fully understand the responsibilities and challenges until you actually have the hands-on experience,” she said.

Washington County Commissioner Kristin B. Aleshire said Fire Ops 101 was “definitely an education.” Participating in the car extrication, for instance, was a lot more difficult than he imagined, he said. The Jaws of Life, a piece of rescue equipment used to spread apart thick steel in auto and industrial accidents, was so heavy, he said, “I can’t imagine one man or woman doing this by themselves, let alone working on more than one vehicle.” What was most surprising, he said, was the knowledge base firefighters must have to do their job. “It was an education for me to realize how educated you have to be to be a firefighter,” Aleshire said. “You don’t just jump off a truck and start using a hose.”

When the program got under way, many of the participants were a little apprehensive, said Glenn Fuscsick, a firefighter with the City of Hagerstown. “But they’ve done a fantastic job,” he said. “It was a real learning experience.”

BOONSBORO — Boonsboro carved a chunk out of its small-town schedule to remember the 2001 day when terrorism penetrated America. Firetrucks and ambulances crept along Main Street, a cavalcade of red, yellow and blue flickering lights.

They passed the school complex, where a crowd was gathered for the evening’s high school football game. People gathered in pockets to witness the caravan — fathers with sons, children clutching plastic bags they hoped to fill with wrapped candy tossed their way. Already, eight years have passed since New York City and Washington, D.C., were attacked and close to 3,000 people were killed — more years than the youngest parade observers have been alive.

Kate Bomberger explained some of that cataclysmic day to her 8-year-old grandson, Kai. Then, they watched the parade of Washington County’s first responders from her porch, a stone’s throw from the road. Bomberger was living in Beltsville, Md., watching Katie Couric, when news of the first plane crash reached TV. “The cynic in me said, ‘Is this an attack?’ and within minutes, the second plane hit, and we knew,” she said. Bomberger said Kai asked why paraders toss candy toward bystanders.

“Whatever it takes to get people to come out,” she said. As she thought more about Sept. 11, Bomberger fought back tears.

“I don’t think that we, as a people, will ever get over it,” she said. At 6:30 p.m., firetrucks from Boonsboro, Sharpsburg and Potomac Valley lined up near Weis Market, waiting to step off. “After seeing what happened eight years ago, I joined the military to try to defend the freedoms that we have,” Roger Mitchell said, walking to a Humvee. He served in the Navy aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, home ported in Everett, Wash. Now, he’s an Army National Guard specialist, drilling with the 243rd Engineer Co. in Cumberland, Md.

A Hagerstown Fire Department member, Mitchell said, “I try to do as much as I can for my community.” Bryan Stallings, an emergency dispatcher and the deputy chief of Washington County’s Emergency Rehab Unit, said he remembered walking into the Long Meadow Volunteer Fire Co. station on Sept. 11. After seeing a few minutes of World Trade Center footage, Stallings and three other Long Meadow members were sent to a house fire — unsure what to expect as the world turned upside down.

“It was a very eerie feeling that morning,” he said.

The start of Friday’s parade was fruitful for 4-year-old Matthew Summers, 4-year-old Paige Sluzalis and 3-year-old Noah Sluzalis. They had candy on their minds and no competing children around. “I think it’s still a day that pulls at your heartstrings,” said Angela Sluzalis, Paige’s and Noah’s mother. It was good to take a break from the TV coverage and see community volunteers on parade, through children’s eyes, said Suzy Summers, Matthew’s mother.

“The excitement they get from seeing the firetrucks ... it kind of lifts your spirits,” she said.