Members of Maryland Task Force One leaped into action when they came across a house fire while in Kentucky helping emergency response after the deadly storms in the area.
It happened while they were out restocking supplies and they knew they had to step in.
“Myself and two other members of the task force were driving on a resupply run to restock some of the consumable supplies we use and while we were doing that, we were driving by a house that was on fire,” said Joe Keefer, with Maryland Task Force One.
He said it didn’t appear that the local fire department was dispatched to the fire yet.
They used a garden hose to start extinguishing the fire and made sure that all of the people in the house had made it out of the house.
While on a supply run in KY, members of Maryland Task Force 1 came across a house fire. Without hesitation, they jumped into action — assisting the family, saving their pets, & controlling the scene until firefighters were dispatched.
Huge thanks to MD TF-1 for their service! pic.twitter.com/4ntGees5pK
— FEMA (@fema) April 13, 2025
When they talked to the family, they said there were pets inside the home still.
“We made sure that all of the people were clear of the structure and removed the animals to get them out of that environment,” Keefer said.
When the local fire department arrived, the task force turned over the response to them.
“Ultimately, we’re here for the flooding and the mission is based on water rescues but we’re not going to let an emergency pass by and not help people,” Keefer said. “I’m very happy and fortunate that it was our team that came across this and were able to assist people in need.”
The team is in Kentucky to help with the emergency response in the aftermath of storms that brought in heavy rain and flooded rivers, killing at least 23 people, The Associated Press reported. Another 10 people were killed in Tennessee.
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