A fire that injured one person and displaced 11 people from their homes began when someone put charcoal in a propane grill, officials say.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue crews were called to the 9200 block of Bluebird Terrace in Gaithersburg, Maryland, about 8:45 p.m. for reports that the back of a house and a deck were on fire.
When they arrived, they found a huge plume of black smoke and a middle-of-the-row townhouse ablaze.
Dramatic cellphone video shows flames shooting from the house. Neighbors were forced outside on the eve of Independence Day.
"The whole back side just looked like it was burst into flames," one neighbor said. "It started to come out of the roof. There was popping sounds."
The homeowner who was using the grill was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
Firefighters said the blaze serves a reminder to use grills safely, and never put charcoal in a propane grill.
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Update- Bluebird Ter, Gburg, 11 residents from 2 THs will be displaced, 1 civ w/ NLT inj, damage estimated ~$550K, cause mishap w/ gas grill pic.twitter.com/32n08L3XmD— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) July 4, 2017
