Man Killed In One Of Two Maryland Fires

Nov. 22, 2007
A 50-year-old man died in an apartment fire at 390 N.Summitt Ave.

GAITHERSBURG, Md. --

Montgomery County Fire responded to two blazes, one fatal, in Gaithersburg early Thursday morning.

A 50-year-old man died in an apartment fire at 390 N. Summitt Ave.

Firefighters arrived around 5:30 a.m. and found heavy fire in the basement of the building with smoke extending to the upper floors.

The victim, who was unconscious and not breathing, was pulled from the apartment, officials said. Medical technicians performed CPR but were unable to revive the man.

Fire officials said the man was found in the kitchen area of the apartment and may have had a medical condition.

More than a dozen people were evacuated from the building.

Firefighters also received a report of a fire just before 5 a.m. in a three-story garden apartment building at 14 Crestwood Drive.

Responding units found a fire in a second-story apartment, which they said apparently started when a flammable material was thrown into the apartment through a window.

Police are calling the incident arson. They are now looking for a suspect. They said they believe the arson victim was targeted.

The fire was quickly extinguished, officials said. One person suffered minor injuries and was treated by medical technicians at the scene.

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