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4 injured in Bethesda house fire on Christmas
Four people were seriously injured in a house fire on Christmas Day in Bethesda. Officials believe a power strip near a Christmas tree caught fire.
BETHESDA, Md. - Five people were injured on Christmas after a tree went up in flames in the living room of a Bethesda home.
Bethesda house fire on Christmas
What we know:
The fire started shortly before 5 p.m. in a home on Fleming Avenue. Officials said they believe the fire sparked from a power strip that was near the family's Christmas tree. Because the tree was dry, the fire spread quickly.
Four people were taken to a hospital, one in critical condition, according to officials. A fifth person who lived next door was also treated on the scene for minor injuries.
Dig deeper:
The residents of the home tell officials they tried to put the fire out themselves, but it moved too quickly for them to reach a fire extinguisher. The entire Christmas tree and two couches were already ablaze in the short time it took to retrieve one.
Pete Piringer with the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service says the fire was likely the cause of an electrical malfunction from old holiday lights that were from the '80s.
The occupants of the home also admitted they had not recently watered the live tree.
A large dog was also found unresponsive inside the home but was resuscitated and taken to an animal hospital.
A dog that was rescued and resuscitated after a house fire in a Bethesda home on Christmas Day.
The damage to the home is around $400,000.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service.