April 3, 2019 | by Deirdre Byrne

UPDATE: Fire at Kensington Condo Complex Causes $2 Million in Damage

Update: The fire at The Waterford Condominium in Kensington has affected 15 condos, according to Pete Piringer, the spokesman for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services. Piringer said on Twitter that the building was built in the mid-1960s and is “non-sprinklered.”

Fourteen of the 15 damaged condos are from both smoke and water damage, but one is damaged primarily from the fire, said Piringer. Overall, Piringer said that the building has $2 million worth of damages.

Fire officials believe that the fire was caused by a candle or incense, or something electrical in the bedroom.

“[The condo] had [a] large amount of household clutter but not to the level of hoarding,” Piringer tweeted.

Firefighters returned to the building Tuesday evening for their “After-the-Fire” program. There, they checked smoke alarms and talked to residents about fire safety.

 

Original Post

Residents Evacuated From 12-Story Condo Complex Tuesday Morning Because of Fire

Firefighters were dispatched at around 5:15 a.m. Tuesday morning responding to a fire on the ninth floor of a Kensington condominium complex.

In a video posted to Twitter, Pete Piringer, a spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services, said the fire was showing from the rear of the building, at 3333 University Blvd. The condo complex, The Waterford Condominium, has 12 floors and 150 units, Piringer said.

Piringer said residents were able to safely evacuate from the building — some of them with the help of firefighters.

Two residents were taken to the hospital because of the fire, including the resident who owned the condo where the fire originated, according to Piringer. In the video, Piringer said the owner was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.

“[A]pparently she was able to discover the fire, came out, activated the building’s fire alarm, which alerted others and they were able to get out,” Piringer said in the building.

In addition to the two residents, one firefighter was also taken to the hospital, according to Piringer. There were no major injuries from the fire, Piringer said.

  • Courtesy of MCFRS

  • Courtesy of MCFRS

Overall, about 100 firefighters came out to put out the fire, Piringer said. He said the fire “did extend beyond the apartment of origin […] both vertically and horizontally.”

According to Piringer, American Red Cross came out to assist in providing care.

Piringer said the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Damage to the building is “significant,” he said.

Most of the residents of the building have been able to reoccupy the building, but Piringer said dozens will be displaced because of fire, water, and smoke damage.

Piringer tweeted photos and videos of the fire and the aftermath.

Kensington Apartment Fire Causes Traffic Delays

The fire The Waterford Condominium has caused significant traffic delays Tuesday morning.

Currently, all lanes are back open.

Here’s some of the information about how traffic was affected from earlier in the morning:

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Deirdre Byrne

About Deirdre Byrne

Deirdre Byrne is a social media coordinator for Montgomery Community Media. She can be reached at dbyrne@mymcmedia.org or on twitter at @DeirdreByrneMCM.
View all posts by Deirdre Byrne

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