Six people were displaced from two townhomes during a fire in Gaithersburg on Tuesday, a Montgomery County Fire & Rescue spokesman said.
Pete Piringer, a Fire & Rescue spokesman, wrote on Twitter Tuesday afternoon that a fire displaced six people and “a couple pets” from two townhomes in the first block of Oak Shade Road in Gaithersburg around 10:15 a.m. Tuesday.
In an interview Wednesday, Piringer said the fire started when food was left unattended on the stove. Most of the damage, he said, was to the home where the fire started, A home next door also was damaged.
“It’s pretty significant damage to the townhome of origin. There’s some fire, smoke and water damage. It extended into the attic,” he said.
Damage to the two townhomes totaled about $300,000, he said.
The townhomes are just off Clopper Road, not far from the county police department headquarters.
Piringer wrote on Tuesday that roughly 75 firefighters located and rescued “several” dogs from a townhouse during “heavy fire conditions” at the townhome where the fire started. The fire was extinguished by 11 a.m.
Piringer wrote on Twitter Tuesday that among the six people displaced were two adults and two children. Additionally, a dog that was rescued was listed as missing.
Piringer did not know the status of the dogs that had been rescued or how many there were. He referred all questions to Montgomery County Animal Services.
Animal Services representatives could not be reached for comment Wednesday because the office was closed.
Dan Schere can be reached at daniel.schere@moco360.media
