Maryland Firefighters Battle Blaze

Dec. 27, 2007
An 8-year-old girl was rescued from the home by her 16-year-old and 21-year-old brothers, officials said.

ASPEN HILL, Md. --

Montgomery County firefighters were called to the scene of a house fire in Aspen Hill on Thursday morning.

Authorities said that at about 2:30 a.m., a fire broke out at a house in the 4500 block of Grenoble Court in Aspen Hill.

Firefighters said that when they arrived, they found fire in the basement of the house. The fire began in a basment utility room, officials said.

An 8-year-old girl was rescued from the home by her 16-year-old and 21-year-old brothers, officials said. She was transported to a local hospital suffering from smoke inhalation and other injuries.

The 21-year-old was also taken to an area hospital.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer said that someone who lives in the house was returning home and smelled smoke and called 911 to report the fire.

Piringer said that the man then began waking up everyone else who lives in the home. Piringer said there were seven people inside at the time, two children and five older people including adults and some teens.

Piringer said the 21-year-old was able to find the girl in the basement of the house while the 16-year-old kicked out a basement window. Piringer said the 21-year-old was able to hand the girl out to the 16-year-old through the window.

The 16-year-old brother, Dylan Parker, said the ordeal was a close call.

"He put a blanket over his face and he was calling her name. She was down there for too long and she couldn't breathe. So, he felt her and picked her up and handed her to me through the window," said Parker.

Everyone made it out of the house, Piringer said. He also said the house had no working smoke detectors.

The fire broke out because combustibles were placed too close to the furnace, News4's Megan McGrath reported.

Copyright 2007 by nbc4.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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