The Westminster Volunteer Fire Dept. is collecting money to
help a member of the fire department and her family get back on their feet
after a fire destroyed their home Friday night, May 20, 2016
The Westminster Volunteer Fire Dept. has partnered with the
Community Foundation of Carroll County to help raise funds for the Hynes
family. All donations to the Hynes Family Firefighter Fund at the Community
Foundation of Carroll County are tax deductible.
If you would rather write a check, donations may be sent to
Community Foundation of Carroll County
% Hynes Family
255 Clifton Boulevard
Westminster Md. 21157
Be sure to note on your check that the donation is for the
Hynes family
For more information, call the Community Foundation of
Carroll County at 410-876-5505 or contact the Westminster Fire Dept. at
410-848-1800 Ext. 381 and leave a message if necessary.
The Mission of the Community Foundation of Carroll County is
to maintain and enhance the quality of life in the community of Carroll County
through philanthropic means. The Foundation will receive, invest, and
distribute funds for charitable, cultural, and educational purposes for the
benefit of the citizens of Carroll County.
Further evaluation is needed to determine precisely the
Hynes family needs at the moment. Friends, neighbors, the first responder and
firefighter community, and the American Red Cross has been very helpful with
many of their immediate needs.
Financial donations for the Hynes family are not being
accepted at the Westminster Fire Dept. Our partner, the Community Foundation of
Carroll County is handling that for the department - to free-up the department
to continue to respond to approximately 6,000 fire and EMS calls a year. .
Please do not drop off any donations at the Westminster Fire
Dept. as the department is unable to store or manage any food, furniture,
clothing, or housewares. The Hynes family is being helped with donations of food,
furniture, clothing, or housewares by other partners in the community.
For those who have asked to also make a donation to the
Westminster Volunteer Fire Department, visit our website at
http://www.westminstervfd.org/ or
make a check payable to the Westminster Fire Engine and Hose Co. #1 and mail it
to: 28 John Street, Westminster, MD 21157
On Friday evening, May 20, 2016 the home of the family of Hugh
and Carla Hynes was destroyed by a tragic accidental fire due to a mechanical
failure of their neighbor’s air conditioning unit.
According to the Maryland State Fire Marshall’s office, “Investigators
determined a mechanical failure lead to the A/C unit exploding, causing the
fire. Both the owner and the neighbor attempted to extinguish the fire with a
garden hose to no avail. The fire spread rapidly upwards into the roof of the
home causing extensive damage to the home and both adjoining units.”
Over 80 firefighters from Carroll and Baltimore Co, and the
Westminster Police Dept. responded with 20 pieces of equipment to a two–alarm
fire in the 200 block of Gallatin Court, north of Westminster off Cranberry Rd.
The first call came into the county emergency communications center at 9:39. A
second alarm was quickly sounded at 9:55.
Several family pets were saved by quick action by the
firefighters on the scene of a two – alarm fire late Friday night in
Westminster. The cats and dogs were attended to by emergency medical personnel,
including vet tech Tanya Andrews who assisted Manchester EMS personnel to
provide emergency oxygen to save the life of a family pet cat stricken by smoke
inhalation late Friday night
Three families were displaced and two townhouses were
destroyed in the blaze, but the fire did not spread farther thanks to the
prompt and well-coordinated response by firefighters. Fire was declared under
control at 1024 pm, but wrap-up and clean-up operations lasted until
approximately 3 am, Sat. morning
For more information or clarifications about this press
release contact the Westminster Fire Dept. at 410-848-1800 Ext. 381 and leave a
message if necessary or contact Westminster Fire Department Chaplain and PIO
Kevin E. Dayhoff at
kdayhoff@westminstervfd.org
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