December 22, 2003, while units were being transferred to the south side of the county for a warehouse fire, a box Alarm was dispatched to the 5600 block of Whitfield Chapel Road. 
 

Engine 281 (West Lanham) arrived on the scene with heavy fire showing from side 3 of a 3-story garden apartment. Engine 481 (West Lanham) picked up E-281's supply line. Truck 28 took the 1st due position on side 1, which made T-33 the 2nd due truck. Next arriving on the scene was E-331 (Kentland) and T-33 (Kentland), with the heavy fire conditions and the reports of persons trapped both units took positions on side 3 (rear).  Units had to remove a wooden fence and travel through over 600' of mud to get to their vehicles positioned on side 3. Engine 331 advanced a 250' 1 1/2 attack line up a ground ladder and into the 2nd floor. This line was operated on the original fire floor, along with E-281's crew. Another attack line was also in position on the top floor from E-281.

Truck 33 placed their aerial ladder to the roof and began a trench cut and ventilation cut. Six ground ladders were placed on side 3 of the fire building. Several attack lines were also deployed from Engine 331. The next arriving Engine did not pick up the Supply line laid by Engine 331 (?). The hydrant that E-281 laid from was defective; so E-481 laid to the hydrant that E-331 laid from and supplied E-281 and E-331. 
 

Units operated on the fire ground for over 5-hours. Several civilians were injured, one civilian jumped from a balcony in the rear prior to units arriving. A very aggressive attack by the 1st arriving units proved to make a quick knock down of the fire and save many apartments from further damage.    Additional units on the fire ground advanced attack lines and performed many support functions. Volunteer Operations Commander McClellen had Command, Volunteer Chief Miller (28B) had Operations. Also on the scene was Lieutenant Colonel McGown Operations Chief.