Fire damages 3 downtown Silver Spring restaurants

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) -- Montgomery County officials say a fire damaged three downtown Silver Spring restaurants and displaced about a dozen residents.

County Fire and Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer says patrons of the Quarry House Tavern noticed smoke around 1 a.m. Thursday and called 911 when they investigated and found flames.

Piringer says more than 100 firefighters responded and brought the fire under control quickly, but the tavern, Bombay Gaylord and Mandarin restaurants were seriously damaged. He says damage is estimated at $750,000.

Piringer says about a dozen people were displaced by the fire and one firefighter suffered a minor burn.

The cause is under investigation, but Piringer says the cause is believed to be an electrical problem.

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