Structure Fire - 08/27/13 - Silver Spring, MD

An electric socket igniting a mattress fire caused a fire that displaced more than 100 residents of a Silver Spring, Maryland apartment complex on Tuesday, August 27th, 2013. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue units arrived shortly after 15:44 hours to find fire and smoke coming from the balcony of the Forest Park Apartments in the 9300 block of Piney Branch Road. The fire originated inside an apartment on the first floor and shot up all the way to the fourth floor, and through the roof. Firefighters rescued a 24-year-old man from the building. Seven tenants and three firefighters were transported to local hospitals with minor, non-life-threatening injuries.

MCFD Company 16 (Four Corners) arrived first-due and reported fire showing, along with a report of multiple people trapped. All units went to work to extinguish the fire and rescue the occupants. With temperatures hovering above 90 degrees, in addition to site access and building construction issues, this was very difficult fire to fight. The amount of apparatus called equaled a 4th Alarm assignment. Additional units from Washington, DC Fire, Prince Georges County Fire, Howard County Fire, and Fort Dietrick Fire also responded on requests for mutual aid.