32 Displaced By Kitchen Fire In Germantown Apartment, Officials Say

More than 30 people were forced from their homes after a kitchen fire tore through a Maryland apartment building, fire officials said.

The Montgomery County fire displaced nearly three dozen residents in Germantown.

The Montgomery County fire displaced nearly three dozen residents in Germantown.

Montgomery County Fire & Rescue crews were called to the 18000 block of Cottage Garden Drive around 12:45 p.m. on Monday, June 16, for reports of a kitchen fire on the third floor of an apartment complex, according to a department spokesperson.

Firefighters arrived to find smoke showing from the upper-level unit, though it was brought under control with no injuries initially reported.

According to investigators, the fire originated in a void space above the stove and was caused by a defective hood vent system and electrical wiring.

The blaze caused an estimated $300,000 in damage and displaced 32 people — including 26 adults and 6 children, officials said.

Investigators credited a neighbor alerted by smoke alarms for noticing the fire. The leasing office called 911 to report it. The unit was unoccupied at the time.

Photos from the scene show firefighters dousing the third-floor apartment with water as smoke pours from the roofline.

Hoses stretched across the parking lot as crews worked to vent the building.

It remains under investigation.

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