Firefighters contain large brush fires in Montgomery County

GERMANTOWN, Md. - Firefighters have contained two separate brush fires in Montgomery County Thursday.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue said the calls about the brush fires came in shortly after 4 p.m.

One of the fires broke out at Black Hills Regional Park in the 20900 block of Lake Ridge Drive. A second brush fire affected over four acres of land in the area of Brink and Blunt Roads in Germantown. Two sheds were damaged by the fire and came close to reaching several homes.

Firefighters spent at least four hours battling the fires.

William Webb and his family have lived in their Germantown neighborhood for nearly 40 years. The last brush fire he witnessed was 15 years ago, but it was nothing like the one today.

"It was a line of fire that came up the hill here that was coming right towards the house," he told us.

There were no injuries reported, according to fire officials.

Strong winds caused the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag Warning until 8 p.m. Thursday for the majority of the D.C. region, including Montgomery County. This warning means that critical fire weather conditions are occurring and a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.

During Red Flag Warnings, here are some tips to know:

- Avoid causing sparks or using open fires
- Don't toss your cigarette butts
- Try to park your cars away from dry grass
- Avoid cooking on grills
- Stay away from combustion engines found in lawn mowers and ATVs

On Wednesday, firefighters in Howard County were battling a similar scene. Several brush fires prompted widespread road closures and traffic and rail delays. Those fires were burning along the CSX rail lines in Howard, Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties.