A Bethesda house fire displaced two adults and two children Monday after flames tore through a three-level home on Sonoma Road.
A neighbor spotted smoke and flames around 11:40 a.m. and called 911.
Firefighters and police arrived to find the fire spreading fast toward the second floor and attic, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer. It took crews about 20 minutes to get the flames under control.
Photos and video from the scene show flames shooting through the roof as crews sprayed water into the garage below, with thick black smoke filling the sky over the neighborhood.
About 75 firefighters and other emergency responders came to the scene. One firefighter suffered a minor injury. No one inside the house suffered injuries.
Firefighters found the family’s small dog inside the home. The dog did not survive.
Fire officials estimate damage at around $1.5 million.
What caused the Bethesda house fire
Fire investigators say the blaze was accidental, likely starting in a utility room on the first floor. They later pointed to two possible sources, an electric scooter and a tennis ball machine, both charging on lithium ion batteries at the time of the fire.
Update – Sonoma Rd, Origin/Cause, accidental, likely 1st floor utility room, exact cause TBD; Damage, $1.5M (posted ‘unsafe to occupy); 2 adults/2 children displaced; 1 small pet dog was located, but did not survive; ~75 @mcfrs responded; a neighbor saw smoke/fire & called 911 https://t.co/QJmFt6eJh9 pic.twitter.com/XO35zDsCHj
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) September 14, 2026
Update initial dispatch ~1140a (9/14) Sonoma Rd; Origin/Cause – Fire investigators have located two (2) competing ignition sources in the area of origin, electric scooter & tennis ball server, both lithium ION powered & plugged in at the time of the fire; 1 @mcfrs FF minor injury https://t.co/U53aa1uWGQ pic.twitter.com/GiHoTPHTY9
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) September 14, 2026
