This story, initially published at 11:18 a.m. July 19, 2024, was updated at 9:26 p.m. to include more details about the incident.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) crews rescued a man who was seriously injured after he was trapped Friday morning by a fire inside his Germantown home, according to authorities.
The man, 80, later died at a hospital, where he had been transported by MCFRS crews, spokesperson Pete Piringer wrote on social media Friday night.
A firefighter also suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the blaze, which displaced a family of three adults and two children, according to Piringer. Two cats are also missing.
MCFRS crews responded around 10:16 a.m. to a report of a house fire in the 11400 block of Neelsville Church Road.
About 55 firefighters responded to the blaze, according to Piringer
The fire, which trapped the man in the home, began in a bedroom on the first floor, according to Piringer and radio transmissions.
At 10:39 a.m. Piringer said the resident had been removed and was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Firefighters had “knocked down” the fire, he said.
The fire caused significant damage to the home. The cause is undetermined and thought to be accidental, Piringer said. He noted the home did not have working smoke alarms.