An Aspen Hill family of four was displaced after a house fire broke out in the basement of their home Monday afternoon, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) spokesperson Pete Piringer said on social media.
About 55 firefighters responded around 1:45 p.m. to the blaze in the 14200 block of Castaway Drive off Flint Rock Drive, Piringer said. The home was unoccupied at the time of the fire, but two cats were removed from the smoke-filled house and later died, he said.
The fire was confined to the basement of the two-story home, Piringer said.
Piringer said the cause of the blaze was determined to be accidental and investigators identified “several possible ignition sources” including power strips and extension cords. The exact cause has not been determined, he said.
Damage from the fire was estimated at about $150,000.
