Firefighters rescue residents from apartment fire near Montgomery Mall
Several people rescued from apartment fire in Bethesda
Several families will have to find another place to stay Friday night after a two-alarm fire broke out in an apartment building in Bethesda. Montgomery County firefighters had to rescue several people, and one person was taken to a local hospital.
BETHESDA, Md. - Several families will have to find another place to stay Friday night after a two-alarm fire broke out in an apartment building near Montgomery Mall.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue said they received a call around 4:20 p.m. about a fire on the second floor of an apartment building in the 10300 block of Westlake Drive.
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As thick smoke filled the air, officials said firefighters had to rescue several people from their units with ladders, while others evacuated through stairwells. A resident had to be taken to a local hospital due to the flames, but all of the injuries sustained in the fire are believed to be non-life-threatening.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue's spokesperson Pete Piringer reported that one firefighter was hurt during the rescue. Piringer said that the building does not have sprinklers or standpipes.
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Montgomery County police said entrances to Montgomery Mall were blocked due to the response to the fire. The flames were officially out by 5:45 p.m., according to Piringer.