WATCH: Massive fire tears through dining hall at summer Camp Airy for Boys in Maryland
FREDERICK COUNTY, Md. (7News) — A raging fire broke out Wednesday morning at a Frederick County, Maryland summer camp for kids.
Frederick County (MD) Fire & Rescue said the initial call for the two-alarm fire that started in the dining hall was at 7:34 a.m. Firefighters who were first at the scene noticed smoke showing through the roof and requested a rapid intervention.
There were approximately 100 firefighters on the scene trying to extinguish the flames, officials said. There were no sprinklers in the building or fire hydrants in that particular area, fire officials said.
This is what we call a rural water supply operation," said Deputy Chief Kenny Poole with the Frederick County Fire and Rescue Department. "That's why we have to call for a tank or task force to bring some water haulers. You also see behind there's a large pond that we're drafting water out of and pumping all the way to the top of the mountain to be able to fight the fire. We're also using the two swimming pools that are on site as a supplemental draft site to also supply the amount of water that we needed to be able to extinguish the fire.
Crews were able to keep the fire contained in the dining hall.
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Although the camp is in session, fire officials said the building was empty and no injuries were reported. Staffers associated with the camp declined to say Wednesday how many kids are attending the camp.
While it’s too early to tell the extent of the damage, we wanted to advise everyone that all campers, counselors and staff are safe and accounted for," camp staff said in a statement.
Camp staff did not let the public or media through the main gate but SkyTrak7 caught video from up above and you can see how intense this fire was.
The fire burned for over two hours and now it is a cleanup operation and the investigation is underway into what caused the fire.
Camp Airy's website says the campsite is for boys. The camp is about 15 miles north of downtown Frederick. The staff tells 7News the building is used for camp activities but also where volunteers and campers have their meals each day.
Camp staff released the following statement to parents:
"Dear Parents,
At around 7:30 AM this morning, a fire was reported in the Dining Hall (aka the White House) at Camp Airy. While it’s too early to tell the extent of the damage, we wanted to advise everyone that all campers, counselors and staff are safe and accounted for. No one was injured in the event. We want to applaud our counselors and senior staff for keeping our campers calm and safe throughout this event, and thank the first responders who remain on site for clean-up efforts.
As you might imagine, the White House is not only where we serve our meals, but also a hub of activity at camp. We are currently relocating many of these activities, and want to assure you that campers will be fed on time with the quality meals that you expect. What is important to know is that no one has been hurt, and camp will move forward with the full slate of activities.
We will provide further updates on the situation as we have more news to share. Thank you for your support and patience in this matter.
Marty"
The first camp session started this past Sunday for Camps Airy & Louise, officials said. The staff at the camp says they plan to move forward with the full slate of activities this week, obviously working around what is now a destroyed dining hall.
The fire marshal's office will investigate the cause of the fire.
If you'd like to donate to help the victims, you can click here.
