About 60 firefighters responded to a house fire on Lorain Avenue in Silver Spring Tuesday morning, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer said.
A passerby called 911 around 6 a.m., Piringer said. The house was under renovation and unoccupied, and he said the fire was heavy when firefighters arrived. It likely burned undetected since around midnight, he said.
It took about 45 minutes to get the bulk of the fire down, according to Piringer. He said two firefighters fell through the floor on separate occasions. One self-rescued and one was helped and taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Piringer said the fire is believed to be accidental and the cause is likely electrical. Workers were at the house Monday and blew a fuse, he said. The damage is estimated to be around $600,000.
Update – Lorain Av, North Hills Sligo Park, house fire; Cause, electrical in nature (workers blew fuse); Area of Origin, 1st floor; Damage, ~$600k; house unoccupied & being renovated; fire likely burned undetected since ~midnight; 1 FF injured (NLT); ~ 60 FFs on scene https://t.co/hGT7O2D6yl pic.twitter.com/BOCF2ddJo2
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) December 22, 2020