By Aaron C. Davis
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 22, 2008

Two Prince George's County firefighters were burned, one seriously, when they were caught in a fireball yesterday in an empty Riverdale house.

The blaze looked small when firefighters arrived at the single-story house in the 6300 block of 57th Avenue, but the two firefighters were caught in a rare "flashover," an instance in which superheated gases and combustible materials simultaneously ignite, said Mark Brady, Prince George's Fire and Emergency Services spokesman.

Brady said the oxygen that entered when firefighters opened a door probably contributed to the explosion. Firefighters did not think anyone was in the house, Brady said, and signs pointed to a small fire that "could be knocked out quickly."

The two are volunteer members of the Riverdale Fire/EMS station. Anthony Blazek, 27, a firefighter for three years, was in serious condition last night. He suffered burns to his face, neck and shoulders and was being treated at Washington Hospital Center, Brady said. Cory Johnson, 23, a six-year veteran, was treated and released.

The house is in foreclosure, according to records. Fire investigators think the blaze began when vagrants discarded a cigarette on a couch.

Staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.