Montgomery County firefighters are looking for what sparked a fire that killed one man in a Rockville, Md., condo Thursday.
Authorities say the fire inside the condo on Crossfield Court near Randolph Road was confined to the living room of one unit. Firefighters found 52-year-old Michael Francis Mercurio unconscious inside the condo. He was taken to an area hospital, where he later died.
With the fire starting around 12:30 a.m., many residents in the community were asleep. Neighbors told News4's Megan McGrath that some of the building's smoke detectors went off, others did not.
"Everyone's pounding on our door, every single person is pounding on our door...It was the pounding of my neighbors that woke me up, and I'm grateful for that," resident Katie Rodgers recalled.
Thirty apartments were evacuated after natural gas lines in the area were shut off. Residents will be allowed to return after those utilities are turned back on.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
