Montgomery Village fire, sparked by incense, forces 11 out of their homes

A fire in Montgomery Village, Maryland, spread to three townhomes, displacing 11 people Thursday night, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue.

Unattended incense ignited curtains inside a second-floor bedroom of one of the townhomes on Club Lake Road near Watkins Mill Road, according to county fire spokesman Pete Piringer.

Some 80 firefighters showed up just before 9:30 p.m. to fight the flames, which were knocked down in about an hour. The fire spread to two adjacent townhomes, displacing a total of 11 residents. Everyone made it out and no one was hurt, Piringer said.



The fire caused about $380,000 in damage.

Below is a map of where it occurred.

Andrew Alsbrooks

Andrew Alsbrooks is an Associate Producer at WTOP. Prior to joining WTOP, Andrew worked for NBC Washington and he currently works at NBC Sports Washington from time to time. Finding the “why” in every story is what drives him to put his best foot forward on any topic that faces him.

Thomas Robertson

Thomas Robertson is an Associate Producer and Web Writer/Editor at WTOP. After graduating in 2019 from James Madison University, Thomas moved away from Virginia for the first time in his life to cover the local government beat for a small daily newspaper in Zanesville, Ohio.

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