According to a report from WUSA9, two people, a woman in her 60s and a man in his 80s, were killed when a massive fire erupted in a two-story home late Monday night in Rockville, Maryland.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) crews responded to Oriental Street, off of Aspen Hill Road, at around 11:15 p.m. for a report of a house on fire. On arrival, they discovered the single-family home engulfed by heavy flames coming from the ground floor, with people trapped inside.
By 12 a.m. on Tuesday, the two trapped victims were rescued, and most of the fire was knocked down. Less than 15 minutes later, the fire completely extinguished.
MCFRS Public Information Officer Pete Piringer said that the two rescued residents were discovered unconscious in an upstairs bedroom. One resident was able to flee the home and was found outside.
The two victims were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. The man was pronounced dead at the hospital, Piringer said.
Earlier today, the MCFRS announced that the woman had died from her injuries.
After arriving, officials said the fire extended from the lower level to the second floor of the home. Around 75 firefighters from multiple local stations responded to the scene. One family, five adults and two children, were displaced.
The fire was determined to have started in the basement’s electrical panel, Piringer said. The estimated damage to the home was thought to be more than $225,000.
A family of five lived in the downstairs unit, while the upstairs unit held a family of three. The upstairs unit consisted of the family of five’s godparents and the godmother’s father.
Further investigation found that the husband and wife were awake when they smelled smoke. When the wife went to check on her elderly parent upstairs, the husband and wife got separated.
The husband attempted to extingusih the flames himself, but was unsuccessful. He then evacuated the others from the home. The wife and her elderly parent were kept from getting out of the house because of smoke and flames on the second floor. They were rescued by firefighters, both in cardiac arrest. The woman was resuscitated. The elderly parent died at the hospital.
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