Crime & Safety

4-Year-Old Killed in Montgomery Village Apartment Fire

Two-alarm fire Wednesday on Lost Knife Circle displaced 40 people.

UPDATED 11:11 p.m.—A 4-year-old was killed and several people were hurt in a fire at Cider Mill Apartments in Montgomery Village on Wednesday. Fire officials said the fire, which displaced 40, was accidental.

Though the identity of the young boy who was killed had not been officially released, a Wednesday night newscast on NBC Washington included an interview with the victim’s relatives, who said the boy's father was burned trying to save him.

A spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service said the child’s name and official cause of death would be released by the state’s Medical Examiner’s office. 

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Several people were injured in the fire, including a man in serious condition who had to be rescued from a balcony.

Fire officials said in a press release the cause of the fire was accidental, though they provided no other details.

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The fire caused more than a million dollars in damage—$750,000 in structural damage and $300,000 worth of damages to the building’s contents—according to preliminary estimates from investigators.

Twelve residences were affected. The apartment management and the American Red Cross were helping the 40 residents who were displaced.

At around 4 p.m., rescuers responded to reports of a fire in the apartment complex in the 18200 block of Lost Knife Circle, near Lakeforest Mall.

When they arrived, they found heavy smoke spewing from the second floor into the upper level and requested more resources, fire officials said.

The bulk of the fire was extinguished after 20 minutes.

It took more than 80 responders to put the fire out.

Investigators have not said what caused the fire.     


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