Updated – 3 p.m. – A home under construction on Horseshoe Lane in Potomac was heavily damaged by fire early Tuesday morning, according to the Montgomery County fire department.
The fire broke out around 5:45 a.m. and flames were showing from the roof when firefighters arrived at the house in the 8500 block of Horseshoe Lane, according to fire department spokesman Pete Piringer.
About 90 percent of the two-story home was damaged and part of the roof collapsed. The fire was extinguished around 7 a.m., according to Piringer. The house was unoccupied and no injuries were reported. About $750,000 in damage was done to the home. Piringer said firefighters were alerted to the scene after a neighbor called 911.
A news helicopter shooting video of the blaze was forced to make an emergency landing in a field near the scene. The pilot of the helicopter, Brad Freitas, wrote on Twitter that he was fine. WUSA9 reported that smoke was coming from the helicopter before Freitas made the emergency landing.
Daylight: rear of #PotomacMD VACANT home gutted by fire on "not-so-lucky" Horseshoe Ct #breaking pic.twitter.com/0p7Ph7qWSc
— Brad Freitas (@NewsChopperBrad) November 3, 2015
Update – News helicopter makes emergency landing on Brent Road in Potomac no crash, no fire pic.twitter.com/teJvgAD4Bz
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) November 3, 2015
Update – (540a) Horseshoe Lane & Stirrup Ct, unoccupied house under construction; >60 FFs responded, no injury pic.twitter.com/7sKwyfpiyU
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) November 3, 2015
More…Horseshoe La; Damage estimate >$700k structure, >$50k contents; Area of Origin, 1st level near new edition pic.twitter.com/Ss1u2ShqKx
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) November 3, 2015
