Fiery condo explosion leaves 10 people hospitalized in Gaithersburg

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — Several residential buildings are severely damaged following a fiery explosion in Gaithersburg Wednesday morning.

It happened around 8:40am at the Potomac Oaks Condominium complex on Quince Orchard Road.

The two alarm blaze caused two of the buildings to partially collapse, according to Montgomery County Fire officials.

Four separate condo buildings, containing a total of 24 units were evacuated, leaving dozens of residents displaced. The Red Cross is on scene assisting those families. Help is also being offered through the County at the Bohrer Park Activity Center.

So far 10 people — 6 adults and 4 children — have been taken to the hospital. Two of the adults are in critical condition.

Two others on the property were reportedly rescued by maintenance staff.

"There was somebody on the top floor someone was helping them get down. I think it was like the maintenance crew trying to help them get down. And then next thing you know, the whole building just collapsed even more and it was just all balled up in flames," said Theresa Kliver, a resident in the area.

Although flames have been put out, crews are continuing to search for anyone else potentially trapped or injured.

There's no word yet on the cause, but investigators did say a gas fed fire was detected in the basement of one building following the explosion. Gas has since been shut off at the complex.

"We extinguished the fire and worked to get the gas shut off, which allowed us to finally extinguish all of the fire, and then begin the first part of our investigative activities," said Fire Chief Scott Goldstein. "The building is significantly unstable. The next steps will be days of shoring the building, making the building stable and safe to operate in."

The ATF said they have joined in on the investigation.

"The quality of this place is run down its poorly maintained. I don't think they're managing the budget adequately here," one person told WMAR.