2 People Jump From Window Of Burning Home In Gaithersburg

GAITHERSBURG, MD — Two people jumped from a window of their Gaithersburg home as a heavy blaze ripped through the building early Thursday morning.

The two-alarm fire broke out just before 5 a.m. in the 9200 block of Oriole Place in the Quail Valley neighborhood.

Two residents were transported to a burn unit with non-life-threatening injuries. A firefighter was also transported to the hospital.

Three homes were deemed unsafe to occupy and several families are displaced, Montgomery County Fire & Rescue spokesperson Pete Piringer said.

About 90 firefighters responded to the scene and battled the blaze. It took about 40 minutes to get the blaze under control, Piringer said.

Officials are investigating the cause of the fire.

"Residents of Gaithersburg townhouse are ‘alive’ because their bedroom door was closed," Piringer said on Twitter Thursday afternoon. "Presumably sleeping occupants awaken by smoke, heavy fire had engulfed downstairs and stairway, both occupants jumped (from 2nd floor) to safety, both were transported, but will be ok."

Montgomery County Fire & Rescue crews will revisit the neighborhood Thursday night to check and install smoke alarms.

There was a serious fire in the same area on Bluebird Terrace almost a year ago on July 3, 2017, Piringer said.

(Photos via Pete Piringer)