BURTONSVILLE, Md. (WUSA) -- Crews began cleaning up the destruction left behind by an early morning fire that displaced 74 residents at an apartment complex.
Assistant Chief Scott Graham, of Montgomery County Fire and Rescue, says personnel arrived at the 14005 block of Castle Blvd. around 7:30 a.m. on Friday and found a heavy volume of fire coming from the rear of the apartment building.
Firefighters quickly began rescuing residents from the lower floors until they reached the top floors, removing 17 residents in all.
There were minor injuries such as scrapes, bruises and minor smoke inhalation, but no serious injuries that required hospitalization.
A total of 34 units were damaged in the fire, with an estimated total damage of $1.5 million.
The cause of the fire, which began on the 1st floor, is believed to be electrical or accidental.
The fire was controlled in about 50 minutes by 100 firefighters.