Officials: 8 Firefighters Hurt In Townhouse Fire Collapse
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (WJZ)--Eight Montgomery County firefighters are recovering tonight after the front of a townhome collapsed on them.
They were trying to put out a raging fire when the residence buckled in the 19300 block of Churubusco Lane.
Mary Bubala has more.
Video posted on the YouTube account of the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service captures the scene as a townhome in Germantown collapses injuring eight fire fighters.
The fire chief says the front wall of the home and the second floor collapsed onto the firefighters.
"The whole sky lite up with fire it was crazy," said one witness. "I saw the front of the building collapse onto the firefighters. I don't think anyone got seriously hurt, but I know they were taken away, never seen anything like that in my life."
The eight firefighters were taken to the hospital, including one firefighter who has serious injuries but is expected to be ok.
"The only way to describe it is a movie scene you don't ever expect to see something like that in real life it's pretty scary," said another witness. "I hope all the firefighters are ok I 'm glad they were here to help."
No one inside the home was injured.
About 120 personnel were on scene to help it from spreading to neighboring homes.
The adjacent townhomes sustained smoke and water damage, but they are still standing thanks to fire walls that kept the flames from spreading.
Fire investigators remain on the scene searching for a cause. They say it appears the fire started in the home's basement.
