Mostly Cloudy 82°
Police & Fire
22 Displaced As Two-Alarm Fire Tears Through Maryland Townhouse 22 Displaced As Two-Alarm Fire Tears Through Maryland Townhouse
22 Displaced As Two-Alarm Fire Tears Through Maryland Townhouse A fast-moving, two-alarm fire ripped through a Montgomery Village townhouse complex early Friday morning, forcing firefighters to rescue trapped residents and leaving at least 22 people displaced, officials said. Fire crews were called around 3:50 a.m. on March 7 to a home in the 10200 block of Cove Ledge Court off Watkins Mill Road, where they arrived to find heavy flames engulfing the rear of a three-level quad-style townhouse, according to Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer. As the fire spread into the attic and upper floors, several occupants had to b…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
News
Massive Barn Fire Visible From I-81 Erupts Near MD/PA Line Massive Barn Fire Visible From I-81 Erupts Near MD/PA Line
Massive Barn Fire Visible From I-81 Erupts Near MD/PA Line A towering barn fire lit up the night sky in Guilford Township, prompting a multi-company response after several drivers on I-81 reported seeing the blaze, emergency officials said. The fire broke out in the 4400 block of Lighthouse Road, initially dispatched as an "outside smoke investigation" before escalating into a full-scale emergency, according to Station 4 Volunteers. Crews from multiple fire companies, including Engine 45 and Company 8 (Marion), arrived to battle the 600-foot barn fire. Tankers shuttled in water while porta tanks were set up to sustain the firefight, responders said…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Tesla Battery Ignites In 'Thermal Runaway' Fire At Maryland Demolition Site Tesla Battery Ignites In 'Thermal Runaway' Fire At Maryland Demolition Site
Tesla Battery Ignites In 'Thermal Runaway' Fire At Maryland Demolition Site A Tesla battery buried in debris months after a house fire suddenly reignited, sparking a hazardous "thermal runaway" fire during demolition in Montgomery County, officials said. Firefighters rushed to 21700 Peachtree Road near Barnesville Road in Dickerson around 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5, after reports of a vehicle and debris fire, according to Montgomery County Fire & Rescue spokesperson Pete Piringer. Crews arrived to find a Tesla car battery engulfed in flames as workers demolished the property where a house fire had occurred on Nov. 11, 2024.  The fire in Montgo…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Trucker Torches Tractor-Trailer Along I-68 In Maryland: Fire Marshal Trucker Torches Tractor-Trailer Along I-68 In Maryland: Fire Marshal
Trucker Torches Tractor-Trailer Along I-68 In Maryland: Fire Marshal A Baltimore County man is facing serious charges after investigators say he intentionally set his disabled semi-truck on fire along I-68 in Western Maryland. Robert Steven Silver, 42, of Cockeysville, was arrested Tuesday, March 4, with the help of Baltimore County Police after a months-long investigation by the Office of the State Fire Marshal. The incident happened on the night of Oct. 12, 2024, when firefighters from the Baltimore Pike Volunteer Fire Company responded to a burning tractor-trailer at the 50-mile marker of the interstate.  Crews arrived to find flames inside a 2012 V…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Obituaries
Blind Civil Rights Attorney Killed In Maryland Fire Fought For Justice Until The End Blind Civil Rights Attorney Killed In Maryland Fire Fought For Justice Until The End
Blind Civil Rights Attorney Killed In Maryland Fire Fought For Justice Until The End David Shaffer, a blind civil rights attorney and lifelong advocate for marginalized communities, died after being pulled from the basement of a burning Montgomery County home. Fire crews rushed to the home on Aurora Drive in the Garrett Park Estates neighborhood on Friday, Feb. 28, according to a Montgomery County Fire & Rescue spokesperson. Firefighters managed to rescue Shaffer, who was blind and unable to escape on his own, but he later died at the hospital from his injuries. The Kensington fire. Twitter/@mcfrsPIO Officials determined the fire was accidental, with multiple p…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
41,000+ Birds Perish In Maryland Chicken House Blaze: Fire Marshal 41,000+ Birds Perish In Maryland Chicken House Blaze: Fire Marshal
41,000+ Birds Perish In Maryland Chicken House Blaze: Fire Marshal A devastating fire tore through two chicken houses in Somerset County, killing upwards of 41,000 chickens and destroying a vehicle, officials said. The blaze broke out over the weekend at a property on Pete’s Hill Road in Princess Anne, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal. When the property owner arrived at the farm, one of the chicken houses had already collapsed in flames.  Investigators say he tried to prevent the fire from spreading to another chicken house but was overtaken by the fast-moving flames, which also engulfed his Toyota Highlander. Firefighters from the Princ…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
$700K Lost In Massive Garage Fire At Maryland Home, Officials Say $700K Lost In Massive Garage Fire At Maryland Home, Officials Say
$700K Lost In Massive Garage Fire At Maryland Home, Officials Say A devastating fire tore through a large attached garage in Maryland, destroying $700,000 worth of property, officials said. The blaze erupted shortly before 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 2, at a single-family home on Sennett Road, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal. Fire investigators said the fire started on a workbench inside the 40' x 80' garage, where several electronic appliances and lithium-ion batteries were stored. By the time more than two dozen firefighters from the Denton Volunteer Fire Company brought the fire under control 40 minutes later, the garage had been complete…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
News
Pitt Football Freshman Mason Alexander Killed In Fiery Crash While Home In Indiana Pitt Football Freshman Mason Alexander Killed In Fiery Crash While Home In Indiana
Pitt Football Freshman Mason Alexander Killed In Fiery Crash While Home In Indiana Mason Alexander, a freshman on the University of Pittsburgh football team, was killed in a fiery car crash in Fishers, Indiana, on Saturday night, March 2, authorities confirmed. The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a vehicle fire with entrapment at 10900 block of Florida Road around 9:03 p.m., dispatch records show. Alexander, 18, was a passenger in a 2016 BMW 340 traveling south on Florida Road from 113th Street when the driver attempted to pass another vehicle, investigators said. As the BMW crested a hill near Geist Park, it entered the northbound lane and swer…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Man Pulled From Burning Maryland Home Dies Weeks Later, Fire Officials Say Man Pulled From Burning Maryland Home Dies Weeks Later, Fire Officials Say
Man Pulled From Burning Maryland Home Dies Weeks Later, Fire Officials Say Officials have confirmed that a Gaithersburg man rescued from a house fire last month has died after two weeks in the hospital. Fire crews arrived to find flames tearing through a single-story home in the unit block of Oak Avenue around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 16, according to Montgomery County Fire & Rescue officials. The Gaithersburg fire. Twitter/@mcfrsPIO Firefighters searched the home and found a man inside, officials said. They pulled him from the home and rushed him to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. After two weeks in the hospital, the victim died, offici…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Man Used Explosive Device To Destroy Mom's Car: Maryland Fire Marshal Man Used Explosive Device To Destroy Mom's Car: Maryland Fire Marshal
Man Used Explosive Device To Destroy Mom's Car: Maryland Fire Marshal A Maryland man is facing arson and explosives charges after investigators say he intentionally set his mother’s car on fire, causing damage to both the vehicle and a nearby home. Terry Lynn Ford Jr., 24, of Cumberland, was arrested on Friday, Feb. 28, following a months-long investigation by the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, authorities said. Fire crews responded to a 2005 Toyota Camry Solara engulfed in flames outside 883 Patterson Avenue around 8 a.m. on Nov. 1, 2024, officials said Investigators later determined the fire was deliberately set using an explosive device, causing an…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Pair Killed In Accidental House Fire Identified By Officials In Maryland Pair Killed In Accidental House Fire Identified By Officials In Maryland
Pair Killed In Accidental House Fire Identified By Officials In Maryland An elderly pair who died in a devastating Annapolis townhome fire have been confirmed as the first fire-related fatalities of the year in Anne Arundel County, officials said. Paul D. Tisdale, 84, and Pamala S. Fox, 70, lost their lives when flames ripped through their home in the 900 block of Riversedge Circle on Thursday, Feb. 20, according to the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, which identified them on Wednesday. Crews were dispatched around 9:45 p.m. and arrived to find the middle-of-the-row townhouse fully engulfed. Firefighters launched an aggressive attack on the blaze while…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Stolen FedEx Truck Erupts In Flames Along Maryland Train Tracks: Fire Marshal Stolen FedEx Truck Erupts In Flames Along Maryland Train Tracks: Fire Marshal
Stolen FedEx Truck Erupts In Flames Along Maryland Train Tracks: Fire Marshal A stolen FedEx delivery truck was found engulfed in flames along railroad tracks in Cecil County, sparking a criminal investigation, officials said. The fiery discovery was made around 2:45 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23, near Red Toad Road and Bethel Church Road in North East, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office. Authorities say a CSX train operator first spotted the abandoned commercial delivery truck, which had been stolen from the FedEx center in North East before being dumped and intentionally set on fire along the tracks. It took firefighters from the North East Volunteer …

SHARE

by Zak Failla