Fireplace Ashes On Gaithersburg Balcony Ignite Apartment Fire

ROCKVILLE, MD — An apartment fire in Gaithersburg was triggered Sunday after fireplace ashes were improperly stored on a third-floor balcony, authorities said.

David Pazos, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, reported that crews were dispatched to the 400 block of Ridgepoint Place in Gaithersburg around 9:20 a.m. for a chimney fire after receiving reports of smoke emanating from a balcony.

Officials at the scene determined that improperly stored ashes left on the balcony activated a sprinkler pipe.

Pazos said all occupants of the apartment were accounted for, and that no injuries were reported as a result of the incident.

None of the residents of the building were displaced.