1 dead, more than 40 residents displaced after fire at Leisure World of Maryland



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A woman has died and dozens of people have been displaced after a fire ravaged a building at Leisure World of Maryland early Saturday morning, damaging around 30 homes.

A woman has died and dozens of people have been displaced after a fire ravaged a building at Leisure World of Maryland early Saturday morning, damaging around 30 homes.

At around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, Montgomery County firefighters were dispatched to a burning building at 15210 Elkridge Way within Leisure World – a resort-style gated complex near Norbeck reserved for residents 55 and older.

First responders witnessed flames originating from the second and third floors of the three-story garden-style apartment building. Montgomery County Fire Department and EMS spokesperson Pete Piringer said alarms were ringing and an evacuation was underway when crews arrived at the scene.

Describing the damage as “significant” with “probably dozens of people displaced” in a Twitter post, Piringer said the Capital Region Red Cross is helping affected homeowners move to a hotel.

Initially, the Montgomery County fire did not report any injuries, but shortly after 1 p.m. on Saturday Piringer said a missing resident was found dead in her apartment.

About 30 units were damaged, displacing 40 to 50 residents, MCFRS spokesman Jason Blake later said. Investigators are working to determine the cause and point of origin of the fire.

More than 100 Montgomery County firefighters responded to the three-alarm blaze.

Founded in the 1960s, Leisure World describes itself as “Montgomery County’s premier choice for active adult living,” with more than 8,000 residents aged 55 or older in 5,660 homes in 29 managed housing communities. individually.

Below is a map of the region:

Zeke Hartner of WTOP contributed to this report.

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