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First Responders Save Couple in House Fire with Swift Rescue

THE AFRO — Prince George’s County Fire Department first responders helped avoid a tragedy.

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By Mark F. Gray

Prince George’s County Fire Department first responders helped avoid a tragedy when a blaze engulfed a home forcing a dangerous but successful rescue effort in District Heights on Feb. 17.

Firefighters from the District Heights Fire/EMS Station 826 responded to a call during the late evening hours after a house fire was reported in the Boulevard Heights community around 10 pm.  The single-family home in the 4000 block of Byers Street was engulfed in flames with its residents trapped inside, according to a report from the County’s Fire Department.

When the fire fighting teams arrived on the scene, they were met with by a raging blaze featuring heavy flames from a fire that apparently started in a detached shed next to the home, which ultimately moved into the main living quarters.  Residents in the building previously heard screaming in terror as law enforcement representatives arrived and tried to enter but were blocked by thick smoke and the heat from the fire’s intensity that forced them to wait for their counterparts from the fire department.

The unsuccessful rescue attempt by the police officer who initially replied, led to acquiring critical information that was vital to the efforts of the firefighters who reached the scene shortly thereafter.  Firefighters, who collaborated with the officer once they reached the incident, learned there were residents inside that were trapped which prompted the swift rescue effort.

According to the Fire Department’s report, the information provided the by the police office gave them a projected timeline they used to initiate an aggressive rescue attempt.  One male and another female occupant were in perilous situations on separate areas of the second floor inside the single family dwelling forcing different attempts to bring them both to safety.

“The crew knew that time was of the essence as heat and smoke continued to build up in the house,” recounts the incident report provided by Prince George’s County Fire Department spokesman Mark E. Brady.  “The crew split up and deployed a charged hose line to initiate extinguishment of the fire and allow access to the interior stairwell.  Two other crewmembers, including a firefighter and the crew officer, in full personal protective equipment, ascended the stairwell following the screams for help.”

Despite the quick reaction time by first responders to the scene, the fire’s swift movement forced the firefighter’s into a fast paced effort to avoid any fatalities.  Station 826’s team simultaneously worked to contain and extinguish the flames while bring the couple to safety.

“All the firefighters did an excellent job on the rescue and extinguishing the fire,” Firefighter/Medic Lieutenant Kris Demattia, the officer-in-charge, said in the statement. “Two more minutes and the outcome could have been very different.”

One man and a woman were rescued as efforts to contain the fire continued by following the shrieks for help.  Two firefighters entered the flaming house as their search for the endangered residents began.  However, the rescue may not have been successful if a stairwell hadn’t been temporarily secured by the firefighters operating the water hose lines.

The male occupant was swiftly found near the top of the stairwell and taken to safety through the home’s interior stairwell.  The remaining firefighter stayed on the second floor and continued his search to quickly locate an adult female in a bedroom.  That firefighter carried her to safety, by using the stairwell also.

It required about 20 minutes to completely extinguish the fire.

The Fire Marshal officially listed the cause of the fire undetermined as the investigation continues.  The fire loss is estimated at $25,000 and no additional injuries.

This article originally appeared in The Afro

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Oakland Post: Week of July 9 – 15, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 9 – 15, 2025

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Black Americans Still Face Deep Retirement Gaps Despite Higher Incomes

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Debt remains a significant barrier. 63% of higher-income Black households said debt is a problem, while just 45% of non-Black households at the same income level said the same. Nearly half of upper-income Black respondents said debt affects their ability to save or live comfortably in retirement.

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By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

A report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute shows that Black Americans continue to face serious challenges in saving for retirement, even as their incomes grow.

The 2025 Retirement Confidence Survey, which included a special oversample of Black workers and retirees, found that the wealth gap remains wide at every income level. Among households earning $75,000 or more, only 33% of Black Americans reported having $250,000 or more in savings and investments, compared with 63% of non-Black Americans. Debt remains a significant barrier. 63% of higher-income Black households said debt is a problem, while just 45% of non-Black households at the same income level said the same. Nearly half of upper-income Black respondents said debt affects their ability to save or live comfortably in retirement.

While many Black Americans expressed confidence managing day-to-day budgets, fewer felt prepared to invest or plan for the long term. The study showed that Black Americans with higher incomes were less likely to have personally saved for retirement, 77%, compared with 87% of non-Black Americans. Retirement experiences also differed sharply. Forty-four percent of Black retirees said they retired earlier than planned because of a health problem or disability, compared with 32% of non-Black retirees. After leaving their main jobs, Black retirees were more likely to work for pay to make ends meet, and more often said their retirement lifestyle was worse than expected. Access to financial advice and planning remains uneven. Just 31% of Black respondents reported currently working with a financial advisor, although nearly half expect to do so in the future. Black Americans were more likely to seek help with reducing debt, creating wills or estate plans, and arranging life insurance than simply determining if they had saved enough to retire.

Researchers Craig Copeland and Lisa Greenwald wrote, “Black Americans reported disproportionately lower financial resources, and how they feel about retirement and financial security is clearly impacted by having less resources.” They continued, “In particular, Black retirees are struggling with higher likelihoods of their retirement lifestyle being worse than expected and having to retire earlier than planned because of a health problem or disability.” “Still,” the researchers concluded, “there are some modifications in the financial system that could help improve their prospects, such as increased assistance in balancing competing financial priorities like debt reduction, supporting family, and building long-term savings.”

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Scorching Heat Sparks Bipartisan Climate Alarm

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — As record-breaking heat waves sweep across the country this summer, a new national poll reveals an overwhelming majority of Americans are linking the punishing temperatures to climate change — and voicing deep concern about the government’s ability to respond.

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By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

As record-breaking heat waves sweep across the country this summer, a new national poll reveals an overwhelming majority of Americans are linking the punishing temperatures to climate change — and voicing deep concern about the government’s ability to respond.

The American Climate Perspectives Survey 2025, conducted by ecoAmerica, found that 86% of Americans say rising temperatures have increased their concern about climate change, with more than half reporting they are “a lot” more concerned. The sentiment cuts across demographic and political lines, with 97% of Democrats, 83% of Independents, and 79% of Republicans expressing heightened worry about the climate crisis. “Americans are connecting extreme heat to climate change, their health, and government inaction,” said Meighen Speiser, Executive Director of ecoAmerica.

Nearly nine in ten respondents recognize the toll heat is taking on public health, with 58% saying extreme heat affects health “a lot.” This awareness is remarkably consistent across racial, age, and income groups.  Among Black Americans, 91% said rising temperatures have intensified their concern about climate change, reflecting some of the highest concern levels among any group surveyed. Those concerns are not abstract. Decades of research by the Brookings Institution, NOAA, and others show Black communities often face the greatest exposure to extreme heat and the fewest resources to adapt. Studies have documented that historically redlined neighborhoods, where many Black Americans live, are routinely up to 10 degrees hotter than wealthier, predominantly white neighborhoods nearby.

In cities such as Atlanta and Baltimore, Black homeowners are significantly more likely to face heat risks and energy insecurity, limiting their ability to cool their homes as temperatures rise. Nationally, Black renters experience higher rates of energy insecurity, with over half struggling to afford adequate cooling during heat waves. Meanwhile, the latest study also points to a notable shift in how Americans perceive the link between climate change and extreme weather. Eighty-two percent now believe that climate change is making extreme events, such as floods, wildfires, and hurricanes, more frequent and severe, up six points since 2021. The most dramatic change is among Republicans: the share who recognize that climate change is fueling extreme weather surged 17 points over four years, from 58% in 2021 to 75% in 2025.

These findings arrive as proposals to slash funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) advance in Washington. The agencies are widely seen as the nation’s front-line defense against disasters and a critical source of weather forecasting and emergency relief. The risks are particularly acute for Black communities already facing disproportionate impacts from hurricanes and flooding, as seen in the devastation of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and more recent storms that have repeatedly displaced predominantly Black neighborhoods in the Gulf Coast and Southeast.

The survey shows Americans are not just worried about rising temperatures — they’re anxious about the government’s readiness to protect communities. Seventy-nine percent said cuts to FEMA and NOAA make them more concerned about the federal government’s ability to respond to climate impacts. That includes 92% of Democrats, 76% of Independents, and 69% of Republicans, underscoring that the anxiety is bipartisan.

Generational divides are also apparent. While 95% of young adults reported that extreme heat has boosted their concern about climate change, the figure was lower — but still significant — among adults over 65, at 70%. However, across all age groups, majorities agree that the crisis is escalating and requires immediate action. “These findings show it’s time to drop partisan politics and rather meet this moment with urgency, leadership, and protection,” Speiser said.

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