Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services responded to a building fire Sunday evening at the Parkside Condos on Montrose Avenue in Rockville.
According to MCFRS Assistant Chief David Pazos, crews were dispatched around 5:26 p.m. to the 10613 Montrose Ave location after a resident reported a fire on a stove inside an apartment. Initial reports indicated a possible kitchen fire before firefighters arrived on scene.
Within minutes, MCFRS officials confirmed that the fire had extended beyond the unit. Fire crews located fire extension inside the walls on the terrace level of the four-story building, with smoke spreading throughout the structure. As a precaution, the entire building was evacuated while crews worked to access and extinguish the hidden fire.
Fire officials later said that residents inside the affected apartment attempted to put out the stove fire before firefighters arrived. While those efforts helped limit immediate damage, the fire had already spread into the walls, requiring additional work by responding crews.
Three adults were able to escape the building without injuries, and firefighters rescued two cats from the apartment. No serious injuries were reported. Traffic in the area of Montrose Avenue was diverted during the response as emergency crews remained on scene. MCFRS has not released information on the extent of damage to the building or when residents were allowed to return.
