Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a call for a fire at a three-story garden apartment at 900 Clopper Rd., near Metropolitan Grove Rd. in Gaithersburg shortly before 8pm on Friday night. According to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer, smoke coming from the building was revealed to stem from a fire on the second floor. Multiple units responded and the building has been evacuated, with Clopper Road (MD-117) temporarily closed from Metropolitan Grove Road to Firstfield Road until late Friday night.
In an update provided by Piringer on Saturday, approximately 50 firefighters responded to the apartment fire. Two adults were transported to the hospital. One of the adults was located and rescued from the apartment of origin (smoke inhalation), and another adult from a different apartment was transported due to an unrelated medical issue. The cause is still under investigation. Two apartment units were displaces (three adults, one dog, and one cat) and where was approximately $110K in damage.
Update (10/6 ~845p) 900blk Clopper Rd; Origin/Cause, 2nd fl living room (cause, under investigation); Damage ~$110K; FFs located & ‘rescued’ 1 adult from apt of origin; 2 residents of the apt bldg were transported by @MCFRS_EMIHS; ~50 FFs responded pic.twitter.com/cwu6cOl9pb
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) October 7, 2023