Seventeen residents of a Gaithersburg, Maryland, apartment building were displaced Monday evening in a fire blamed on a malfunctioning electrical outlet.
The fire caused an estimated $500,000 in damage.
Montgomery County firefighters were called to a three-story apartment block at 9906 Walker House Road in Montgomery Village around 5:30 p.m. Monday.
They battled a fire which had spread from the ground floor to the levels above, affecting at least four of the building’s six residences. Nine adults, eight kids and several pets were displaced.
One resident was hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
Update – Walker House Rd, Montgomery Village, Gaithersburg 2-Alarm apartment bldg fire, Red Cross assisting total 17 displaced, specifically from 4 apartments including 6 (3 adults and 3 kids), 1 (adult), 8 (3 adults 5 kids) & 2 (2 adults), 1 civilian has been hospitalized, NLT https://t.co/BWx9nSIWQ1 pic.twitter.com/9KEDxyaTcc
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) March 23, 2021
Investigators traced the origin of the fire to a faulty electrical outlet hidden behind a sofa in a terrace-level unit, fire department spokesman Pete Piringer said.
A second alarm was called to bring in additional firefighting resources.
