UPDATE – 2:30 p.m. – More than 85 firefighters responded to a house fire on Hillmead Road in the Bradley Hills neighborhood of Bethesda Wednesday morning.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services spokesman Pete Piringer said firefighters were called to the scene around 10:50 a.m. and encountered a fire in the basement of a large house at 6913 Hillmead Road. A neighbor reported the fire, Piringer said.
Piringer said at the scene firefighters initially believe the fire was fueled by a gas line. Firefighters were not able to immediately shut off the gas to the home, which was why the fire was able to spread, according to Piringer. The fire extended to void spaces in the walls and ceiling and to parts of the first floor, but was mostly contained in the basement, Piringer said.
The occupants were not home at the time and no one was injured. Around noon firefighters were still at the scene extinguishing hotspots and the fire marshal could be seen talking to a neighbor and another individual. More than a dozen pieces of equipment ranging from fire trucks and ambulances to department SUVs lined the narrow road, which is home to many million-dollar-plus houses.
Piringer said the house is no longer inhabitable and that a family was displaced. An electrical malfunction believed to have been related to recent circuit work at the house was identified as the cause of the fire, according to Piringer. Damage to the home is estimated to be greater than $600,000.
The fire marshal speaks with a neighbor and an unidentified individual outside the home. Credit: Andrew Metcalf
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Smoke coming from the house in this photo taken early on at the scene by fire department spokesman Pete Piringer.
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Photos from the scene by Andrew Metcalf (unless otherwise noted)
