Firefighters extinguished a blaze in a Bethesda residence on Dec. 29 that was fueled at least in part by propane cylinders stored in the home's garage.
The fire began in the garage of the home, setting off explosions as the tanks overheated and ignited, said Steve Miller, Assistant Chief of Cabin John Volunteer Fire Department. No one was present in the home at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported. The incident took place in the 8300 block of Loring Drive in the Bradley Hills neighborhood of Bethesda near Bradley Boulevard and River Road.
The fire spread from the garage to the attic and into the living quarters of the home, said Miller. Firefighters contained the fire in the garage first to eliminate the danger of any further explosions, before putting out the rest of the blaze.
The fire was put out in about 30 minutes, said Miller, but not before significant damage was done to the home.
Though Miller could not confirm the source of the fire, he noted that storing propane cylinders indoors is extremely dangerous and should always be avoided.
Another typical cause of fires this time of year are fireplace ashes that homeowners put in their garage, Miller said.
"A lot of fires around the county start in the garage because people just take the ashes out there," said Miller who said that all ashes should be disposed of outside. "Ashes are actually good [fertilizer] in gardens," said Miller.
— Aaron Stern