Firefighters were called to the Arrive Silver Spring apartment building in downtown Silver Spring at around 6 p.m. on Saturday following a fire that started on the 9th floor.
Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer said that the fire occurred in an unoccupied apartment on the 9th floor undergoing renovation.
WJLA reports that the fire was swiftly brought under control, and no injuries were reported. Most residents were advised by firefighters to “shelter-in-place” in their units, as it was deemed safe.
Piringer said that the fire started in an HVAC wall unit in a renovated apartment but did not spread beyond that area. The renovation was in response to a previous fire in February, which resulted in one death and multiple injuries.
Concerns were raised about the absence of sprinklers in each of the building’s apartments following the February fire, which was deemed accidental in February but was classified as undetermined in April. County fire officials stated that having sprinklers in each unit could have prevented the death of Melanie Diaz and reduced the extent of the damages, according to WJLA.
Photo: Pete Piringer / Twitter
Update – The Arrive Silver Spring, 8750 Georgia Av, fire on 9th floor, unoccupied/vacant apt under renovation from a previous fire, fire appears to have involved HVAC wall unit, no extension beyond apartment of origin, no injuries, no one displaced, apartments being reoccupied pic.twitter.com/7RaVYx9X8Y
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) December 31, 2023
On scene videos https://t.co/u9iEilqbne pic.twitter.com/t94KPfpOvg
— Station 1 Spotter (@ArmisteadIsaac) December 30, 2023