More than 20 people were estimated to have been displaced from at least six townhomes in Montgomery Village after a two-alarm fire Friday morning, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) spokesperson Pete Piringer said on social media.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Piringer said. Damage was estimated at $600,000, according to Piringer.
Firefighters were initially dispatched to the 10200 block of Cove Ledge Court off Watkins Mill Road in Montgomery Village around 3:50 a.m. for reports of a fire in a townhouse, Piringer said in a video on social media. Upon arrival, there were “pretty heavy fire conditions” in the rear of the building, and it appeared the fire began on the outside and extended into the attic area of the home, he said.
A second alarm was dispatched at roughly around 4 a.m., bringing the total number of firefighters at the scene to about 75. At 4:20 a.m., Piringer posted that the bulk of the visible fire was extinguished and firefighters were working on several hot spots.
Several families evacuated, some with the help of firefighters, and Ride On buses were called to provide temporary shelter from frigid temperatures. No injuries were reported, Piringer said.
The fire caused the temporary closure of Watkins Mill Road between Apple Ridge and Stedwick roads, Piringer said on social media.
