Firefighters Battle Fire in Basement of Under-Construction Bethesda Home

House fire in the 8500 block of Howell Road in Bethesda. Photos by Andrew Metcalf

Update – 4:20 p.m. Montgomery County firefighters battled a basement fire Tuesday morning that left one worker injured in an under-construction home.

Firefighters were called to the scene in the Bradley Park neighborhood of Bethesda at about 9 a.m., according to department spokesperson Pete Piringer. The fire appeared to start with a furnace or boiler in the basement, Piringer said.

He said firefighters put out the fire at about 9:30 a.m. and that a worker at the house suffered non-life threatening burn injuries to his face and arms. The man was transported to a local hospital.

The home is in the 8500 block of Howell Road and smoke could be seen pouring out of its windows. John Waterman, a neighbor who was on the scene, said construction on the site started less than two months ago.

Mid-Atlantic Custom Builders is building the home, according to a sign on the property. The house was 85 percent complete, according to Piringer.

The fire caused about $500,000 worth of damage to the home and 75 firefighters responded to the scene.