A house fire in the Kemp Mill area on Saturday afternoon caused significant damage and displaced one resident, though no injuries were reported.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) crews were initially dispatched around 1:20pm to the Fulham Court and Kersey Road area for a reported smoking furnace. The call was quickly upgraded to a full assignment after reports of smoke coming from the attic.
First arriving units found a furnace on fire with flames extending from the first floor into the attic. Crews were able to extinguish the fire before it spread further.
According to MCFRS chief spokesperson Pete Piringer, the fire was determined to be accidental and caused by a furnace malfunction. The homeowner reported that work had recently been performed on the unit, and the fire occurred approximately 40 minutes after it was turned on for the first time.
Damage is estimated at around $65,000. One person has been displaced as a result of the fire.
