Crime & Safety
Fireplace Ashes Left In Germantown Garage Cause $250K Damage
A family and several pet reptiles were displaced by fire late Saturday after fireplace ashes were left inside a garage, authorities said.
Updated 6:46 p.m.
GERMANTOWN, MD – Fireplace ashes that were left inside the garage of a single-family home in Germantown sparked a fire that displaced a family and resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service said Saturday.
Over 60 firefighters responded around 11 p.m. to reports of a house fire in the Crawford Farm neighborhood on Forest Brooke Court, according to MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer.
Find out what's happening in Germantownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Update - Forest Brook Ct, single-family house, fire appears to have originated in attached garage, fire under control/extinguished, occupants got out, several pets (reptiles) appear to be ok, 1 family displaced https://t.co/oqKXgg3gry pic.twitter.com/VJFPX7LgnM
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) February 8, 2026
Officials described the fire as being "well advanced" by the time the first firefighter crews arrived at the scene.
All occupants of the home were safely removed from the grounds, including several pet reptiles. Piringer said early estimates suggested damages reached $250,000.
Find out what's happening in Germantownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
A GoFundMe for the family has received an overwhelming response from the community, having already exceeded fundraising goals.
In addition to the large fire response, officials also called in a warming bus.
The temperature at the time was registered at 11 degrees. However, brutal wind chill conditions put "feels-like" temperatures closer to negative 8 degrees.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
