Fires rip through homes in the DMV amid freezing temperatures

Several midweek fires broke out across the DMV midweek, injuring several people, and killing one Maryland man.

In addition to killing one man, the Glen Burnie fire sent seven people to the hospital.

In Germantown, firefighters say a space heater could have caused a house to ignite, destroying the home. A firefighter fell through one floor while battling the blaze, but no one suffered any serious injuries.

In Fairfax, three people inside a home when flames began erupting, but they were all able to escape without injury.

And in Arlington, part of an apartment complex was engulfed in flames, forcing its tenants to flee for their lives.

Jason Monroy was in his apartment in Arlington when the fire broke out - he credits divine intervention for enabling him to escape.

He was in a deep sleep when he suddenly heard the alarm in the hallway.

"I just ran to my mom's bedroom and told her 'Mom get up. There's a fire.' And then my brother in my room. Trying to wake him up. Woke him up, there's a fire grab something," Monroy said.

When they were confronted by a wall of smoke at the door, they needed to use the only other exit available, the balcony.

"The smoke was coming in really fast and the doors were closed and everything. And we were outdoors and the smoke was still coming to us. I thought it was going to be it," Monroy said.

When Monroy called 911, the operator gave him and his family some lifesaving advice, telling him to "stay calm, get lower to the, try to be away from the smoke."

Firefighters arrived minutes later, evacuating Monroy and his family from their balcony.

They grabbed their jackets and cellphones, but nothing else.

Rita Gregorits is a volunteer with the Red Cross. She says the fire impacted 12 units.

The organization managed to get a bus to house people during the incident.

"We got them food we got them warm blankets and we were able to help them as they moved toward their recovery," Gregorits said.

The Monroy family lost their home - but thanks to the kindness of others, they've have help while they pull their lives back together.

"My family offered to let us stay and my girlfriend's family. My church also told me that they would help us stay somewhere if we needed to," Monroy said.

The Red Cross gave debit cards to families that needed a place to stay for the night.

About 34 people were displaced by the apartment complex fire.