Firefighters honored for response to largest fire in Prince George's County history

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - It was the biggest fire in Prince George's County history as a College Park apartment building under construction suffered nearly $40 million in damages after going up in flames. It happened a month ago this week and the hundreds of first responders who battled the five-alarm fire were recognized by the city Tuesday night.

There was major appreciation for the firefighters who were able to get this fire under control. Thankfully, there were no injuries to the public and no damage to other structures.

The sprinkler system inside the apartment building was in place, but it had not been hooked up. That was a major challenge for the firefighters as the fire engulfed the structure.

More than 300 firefighters from around the region were called to battle the blaze.

"After 9/11, there was a big push to make sure that everybody was on the same radio channel," said Prince George's County Fire Chief Ben Barksdale.

"It was seamless, like we do it every day," said College Park Volunteer Fire Department William Corrigan.

Crews worked around the clock for days. The fire started on a Monday and firefighters were there on the scene until Friday afternoon.

On Tuesday, the College Park City Council formally recognized the first responders for their work. The mayor said this could have been so much worse for the community.

Firefighters believe the fire was accidental, but the specific cause still remains under investigation.

Video shows aftermath of fire that destroyed College Park apartment building under construction