10 Hospitalized, 100 Homeless in Silver Spring Fire

Two-alarm fire at building in the 9300 block of Piney Branch Road

An electric socket sparking a mattress fire caused flames that displaced more than 100 residents of a Silver Spring, Md. apartment complex Tuesday afternoon.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue arrived shortly after 3:45 p.m. Tuesday to find fire and smoke coming from the balcony of the Forest Park apartment building in the 9300 block of Piney Branch Road. The flames began inside an apartment on the first floor and shot up all the way through the fourth floor.

Firefighters rescued a 24-year-old man from the building. Seven tenants and three firefighters were transported to local hospitals with minor, non-life-threatening injuries.

More than 100 people were displaced due to the fire, which was contained in about two hours.

"My back, my neck.. everything hurts. I'm just stressing out right now," one resident told News4's Shomari Stone. "My son's stuff, my daughter's back-to-school stuff I just spent $500 on [is ruined]."

Damage is estimated at $1 million to the structure and approximately $500,000 to items inside the apartments affected.

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