Via Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer.
The deadly February fire at the Arrive Silver Spring apartments has been classified as having an “undetermined” cause, according to a recently-released report, and factors like a lack of sprinkler system affected severity of the blaze.
There were multiple electrical items, some charging, in the apartment of origin, per the report from the Montgomery County Fire and Explosives Investigation Unit. A malfunction in one of the devices or the apartment’s electric system is a possible cause, but smoking materials could not be ruled out.
No criminal act or intention is suspected. The case is closed, according to the report.
One person died in the fire. 25-year-old Melanie Diaz was pronounced dead at a hospital after she was found unconscious near a stairwell in a hallway with “heavy smoke conditions with no visibility,” per the report.
The report revealed another victim was in a state of cardiac arrest and was resuscitated on the way to the hospital, and did not regain consciousness until later in the day.
Other civilians were treated from smoke inhalation and were released from the hospital. None of the civilians injured were from the apartment of the fire’s origin. Three firefighters went to a hospital for minor injuries.
After the fire, a new state-level bill was introduced and named after Diaz. It did not pass during this last General Assembly session. The bill would codify into law that all high-rise buildings be protected by an automatic sprinkler system after January 1, 2033. It would also require buildings to note in all main entrances and in the lease if there is not a complete automatic sprinkler system.
Fire Chief Scott Goldstein previously said that in this case, the occupants left their apartment, came back and found it on fire. As the fire continued to grow, they tried to fight it themselves without calling 911.
There were strong winds at the time of the fire, per the report. The apartment unit’s door and balcony door were both open as the occupants tried to fight the blaze. This caused a “natural draft that fed oxygen to the fire while also moving large amounts of smoke into the hallway, stairwells, and surrounding floors,” the report stated.
The Arrive apartment complex has sprinklers only in the stairwells and mechanical rooms, according to fire and rescue officials. There are none in individual apartment units. The report confirmed the building did not have sprinklers in the apartments.
Due to witness statements, investigators do not believe the smoke alarm in the unit was in working order.
“A delay in reporting the fire as the occupants attempted to extinguish it, no working smoke alarms, and no sprinkler system were also factors in the extent of the fire,” according to the report.
Authorities tell residents to “close before you doze” — keeping doors closed as barriers to smoke and fire, and community members are advised to “immediately get out, call 911” if they experience a fire.
