67°
At approximately 5:30 a.m. on Monday, April 10, first responders from multiple agencies were called to the 1900 block of Brookside Drive in Edgewood, where there was a report of multiple three-story townhouses that were on fire.
As the fast-moving flames continued to spread, officials called for a second, then third alarm after as many as five residences became fully-involved in the fire.
In total, nearly 100 firefighters responded to the massive fire from at least a dozen agencies, though no injuries were reported.
The fire caused an estimated $1 million in damages, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal.
Officials declared the fire under control shortly after 7:30 a.m. on Monday morning, though crews remained at the scene to investigate and extinguish any hotspots that flared up.
The fire marshal says that the incident started in the back of a rear deck on Brookside Drive and "discarded smoking materials can not be ruled out at this time."
Investigators were assisted at the scene by members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which "is standard protocol for any large-scale incident."
Five families were displaced and are being assisted by Harford County Disaster Assistance and the American Red Cross.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Gaithersburg and receive free news updates.
