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A massive two-alarm fire erupted at a vacant Maryland elementary school scheduled to be demolished later this year and replaced with a new building.
Crews in Montgomery County were on hand for hours at JoAnn Leleck Elementary School in Silver Spring overnight, when a massive fire broke out and tore through the school.
The fire was initially reported at around 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 24. At the time, the school was under construction and no students were impacted.
Upon arrival, dozens of firefighters were met by smoke and flames coming from the roof of the building, though they were able to contain the fire and remained at the scene for hours to knock down flare-ups in concealed and void spaces, a Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said.
The fire came as Battalion Chief Mark Davis, who was hired by the agency in July 1984, was set to ride into the sunset, but not before one last call.
"Congratulations to Battalion Chief Mark Davis on his retirement after 40 years of dedicated service," Assistant Chief David Pazos posted on social media.
"Chief Davis was hired July of 1984 and served in several critical disciplines throughout his tenure, including his most recent assignment as Battalion 1-A Shift."
No injuries were reported.
Firefighters remained at the scene on Wednesday morning.
The cause and origin of the fire are both under investigation.
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