05/30/2022
May 30th, 1999
At 0016 hrs on May 30th, box alarm #6178 was transmitted for a report of a townhouse fire at 3146 Cherry Rd. NE in the Fort Lincoln Community. Engine 26 was the first to arrive and reported heavy smoke coming from a 2 story townhouse. Engine 10 (3rd due) arrived on the scene, picked-up E-26's line and provided a backup line to the crew of E-26 as per department SOP's. As members of E-26 & E10 entered the 1st floor, they encountered heavy smoke and moderate heat conditions with no visible fire. Unknown to them the fire was located in the basement of the residence and within seconds conditions deteriorated rapidly. The basement lit off sending superheated gases up the basement stairs to the 1st floor. Directly in the path of the superheated gases were firefighters Anthony Phillips of E-10 (F/F Phillips was in the area of the top of the basement stairs) , Lewis Matthews, and Joe Morgan of E-26 (F/F's Matthews and Morgan were located in the dining/living room area, directly behind Phillips). F/F's Phillips and Matthews were severely burned and had to be rescued from the fire building (F/F Phillips was located by the sounding of the integrated P.A.S.S. device on his SCBA, and for an unknown reasons, found without his facepiece on. F/F Morgan made his way towards the front door and was assisted out by other firefighters. As members were rescued from the fire building, other members along with EMS began life-saving measures to assist their colleagues. All injured members were transported to Medstar and despite all life-saving measures F/F Anthony Phillips became the 96th Firefighter to die in the line of duty.
Firefighter Lewis Matthews died the following day as a result on his injuries. F/F Morgan received burns to 60% of his body and has undergone several operations, extensive rehab, and is now retired from the fire department.
