A firefighter remains hospitalized and under observation. A second was treated and released following a two-alarm fire at 764 Quince Orchard Boulevard in Potomac Oaks in Gaithersburg Tuesday morning.
The injured firefighters were a captain and a battalion chief.
No residents were injured during the 10 a.m. blaze which displaced between six and 12 people, according to Pete Piringer, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesperson.
According to Piringer, a resident was smoking in bed and thought he had put out the flame. But a little while later, a neighbor noticed smoke and fire.
When fire personnel arrived on the scene, there was a large amount of smoke in the top floor and common attic area, Piringer said. He estimated the damages to the three-story apartment building at about $1 million. The fire is considered accidental.
About 100 firefighters fought the blaze in 93-degree heat, he said.
The fire was extinguished in about half an hour.
Update – (10a) 746 Quince Orchard Blvd, Potomac Oaks, 3-sty apt bldg; Original/Cause, accidental, smoking materials, mattress bedroom 2nd floor (top); Damage approx $1M; at least 6 families displaced; 2 FFs injured, incl 1 Capt & 1 Battalion Chief, both transported NLTI pic.twitter.com/9wul5Jh7ps
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) July 1, 2025
