Gaithersburg explosion under investigation

Montgomery County officials are investigating a massive explosion that occurred at the Potomac Oaks Condominiums at 780 Quince Orchard Road in Gaithersburg yesterday morning. An official cause has not yet been declared. Residents of at least one unit were unaccounted for, and several people were transported to local hospitals with injuries sustained in the blast and its aftermath. Search dogs have been brought in to locate anyone who might be buried in the rubble.

More than twenty units at the complex were destoryed or are currently uninhabitable, displacing dozens of residents. A temporary shelter has been set up at Bohrer Park. Last night, local restaurant Medium Rare served those displaced residents free steak dinners. If you would like to provide direct support to those displaced residents, an official website has been set up here to make financial contributions.

Photo courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services

Arson in Clarksburg

A case of arson was reported to Montgomery County police this past Sunday in Clarksburg. The fire occurred in a home in the 12500 block of Blue Sky Drive around 7:56 AM.

Fire reported at South Lake Elementary School playground in Montgomery Village

Montgomery County firefighters responded to a report of a fire at a playground in the Montgomery Village area of Gaithersburg this morning around 8:05 AM. The blaze was reported at the South Lake Elementary School playground, at 18201 Contour Road. No further information is available at the moment.

Sprinklers put out fire at Germantown apartment (Photo)

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services credit smoke alarms and sprinklers from preventing disaster at an apartment complex on Dovedale Way in Germantown Friday. Firefighters responded to a blaze in an apartment there that was quickly extinguished by the building's sprinkler system.

Smoke alarms alerted the resident, who escaped unharmed. That resident has been temporarily displaced from the apartment. MCFRS ventilated the apartment post-fire.

Photo: MCFRS

Tow truck company fire in Gaithersburg (Photo)

Multiple vehicles caught fire at a tow truck company in Gaithersburg Sunday. Hazardous or flammable materials posed a potential threat to firefighters responding to the blaze at Snouffer School Road and Mooney Drive.

Multiple combustibles and magnesium metal casings were near the vehicles, but fast work by firefighters minimized their exposure, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesperson Pete Piringer said.

Photo by Pete Piringer, MCFRS

Fire at Hyatt House in Gaithersburg

Firefighters responded to a report of a "strong odor" Wednesday at the Hyatt House, an extended-stay hotel off Sam Eig Highway (I-370) in Gaithersburg along MD 355, according to MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer. Once they arrived, they located a fire in one unit's kitchen.

The 3-story hotel's sprinkler system kept the fire under control, Piringer said. Guests were evacuated during the incident. No injuries were reported.

2-alarm Kentlands fire sends 5 firefighters to hospital (Photos)

A fire in the Kentlands caused some scary moments for firefighters, as a section of the burning home's roof collapsed while they fought the heavy, 2-alarm blaze. Five firefighters were sent to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, and no burns, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesperson Pete Piringer said. The ambulance trips were primarily as a precaution, he said, to give them a full evaluation.

Firefighters arrived on the scene early this morning to find heavy fire at the 2-story home on Leekes Lot Way. The home's occupant managed to escape, Piringer said. A firefighter mayday was called during the battle when the roof portion collapsed, but all personnel were accounted for, he reported.

Piringer cited the chimney as the source of the fire, and that spread to the wood-shingled roof, attic and second floor. He noted that firefighters utilized master stream devices in tackling this fire.

Damage is estimated at $800,000.

Photos by Pete Piringer @mcfrsPIO on Twitter

Gaithersburg house fire causes over $15,000 in damage (Photo)

Improperly-discarded smoking materials caused a rear deck in Gaithersburg to catch fire Sunday, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesperson Pete Piringer said. The fire began to spread from the deck before MCFRS personnel extinguished it, and the damage is estimated at over $15,000.

No one was injured in the blaze on Hidden Field Drive, but firefighters did replace 2 smoke detectors in the home.

Photo by Pete Piringer