Montgomery County firefighters respond to a building fire on Chevy Chase Street.
A fire at 166 Chevy Chase Street in Kentlands has displaced nine people in two neighboring units of the piggy-back townhouse community.
Eleven fire rescue units responded to the blaze at 3:17 p.m. on September 8.
“The fire originated on the exterior deck of 166A,” said Gaithersburg Fire Marshal Ivan Humberson. “It extended up the exterior wall of 166A to 166B where it extended into the kitchen area of the dwelling.”
According to Humberson, the residential fire sprinklers activated inside 166B limiting the fire damage to “mostly exterior” but, he said, “there was water damage in both units so the occupants were displaced.”
Montgomery County Assistant Fire Chief Scott Graham said damage is estimated to be around $20,000 to the exterior and $50,000 to the interior of the residential units. No one was injured in the blaze, according to Graham, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The city did not assist in relocating the displaced residents.
“That is typically handled by the Red Cross,” Humberson said. “City staff will be following up as necessary with the reconstruction/repairs,” he added.