Children injured and dozens displaced after early morning fire at apartment building in Montgomery County

According to authorities, 10 people including 4 children were transported to the hospital and dozens were displaced after an early morning house fire in Montgomery County.

Around 5:30 a.m.. firefighters responded to the fire on Lost Knife Circle in Gaithersburg, MD. Montgomery County Fire & EMS Spokesperson Pete Piringer stated that the fire may have started in the living room of a third and top floor apartment. Then the flames spread to the kitchen.

A man jumped from the third floor, suffering from burns, smoke inhalation and may have a broken leg. This man, along with five other adults and two children were rushed to the hospital. All are rumored to be apart of the same family.

Piringer stated that four more people (two adults and two children) were rushed to the hospital afterwards. The 10 people transported are all believed to be related but living in different units.

Victoria Ramos told Fox 5 in Spanish that she lives next door and woke up scared. She ran out of her apartment hardly grabbing a coat and shoes. Ramos said she went to her kitchen thinking the fire was in her apartment. When she opened the door, Ramos said smoke filled her apartment. She and her roommates could not see anything.

Paul Carden, Red Cross Regional Disaster Officer for the National Capital Region, stated that this is the fifth fire they have responded too within 72 hours.

Red Cross volunteers were on the scene Friday morning. They are now helping 45 displaced people, paying for temporary temporary hotel stay, food, and clothing. Just in a few hours, the Red Cross will spend around $10,000 helping the 45+ people now out of a home. The regional spokesperson says anyone who wished to help can call the Red Cross at : 1-800-RED-CROSS (733-2767).

“A fire is a loss of a person’s sense of family – a sense of loss – that environment that they’ve created.  And to have it happen on this holiday doesn’t help it. It even makes it worse because folks are going to be basically starting over, finding a new place going into the Christmas holiday so it’s a very difficult, emotional time,” said Carden.

No fatalities were reported. Several pets were also rescued.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

Update – Lost Knife Circle, @MCFRS_EMIHS transporting 2 more adults & 2 more children for smoke inhalation, all NLT – total 10 patients transported, Red Cross on scene assisting at least 1 dozen residents being displaced pic.twitter.com/GzSLkuwOx1

— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) November 29, 2019