GAITHERSBURG, Md. โ It has been a year since an explosion rocked a condo community in Gaithersburg and some residents are still searching for answers.
On November 16, 2022, a 36-year-old man reportedly took his own life setting off a chain of events that caused an explosion at the Potomac Oaks Condominiums. The explosion left 14 people injured but only the 36-year-old man was killed. Montgomery County Department of Police Chief Marcus Jones said in 2022 that investigators have no reason to believe the man intended for anyone else to be hurt.
Many residents have been frustrated with condo management since the explosion. Nearly two months after the fire, one family shared with WUSA9 that they had been left in the dark about when their home would be rebuilt, all while they continued to pay homeowner association fees.
"We are mandated to continue to pay homeowners fees for a home that no longer exists," Grace DiMartini told WUSA in January.
On December 1, WUSA9 listened in on a community meeting held for the victims of the Potomac Oaks explosion. They were told that the money from those fees would go towards rebuilding, but that the process of rebuilding could take a year.
For the last year, people who lived in the impacted condos have been left to pick up the pieces after the explosion not only left many without a home but also being banned from going into the condos to see what, if any, of their personal belongings were left.
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Four months after the explosion, residents of buildings 826 and 828 were not allowed to go into their homes. In February, a man who lived there told WUSA9 he had enough and went back inside, hoping to find important documents and family heirlooms. Instead, he said he found what was left of his belongings thrown all over, some of his family's jewelry and other belongings missing and syringes scattered all over. He shared footage exclusively with WUSA9.
Months later, there appears to be little to no progress on the rebuilding of the destroyed condos and residents continue to fight for answers.
Four buildings were impacted by the explosion. Buildings 830, 828, 826 and 824.
"It's torture by a thousand cuts," said Michelle Conklin-Kusel who lived in one of the impacted buildings.
"A year has passed now, let's go, let's do this, let's make it happen," she told WUSA9 Thursday night.
She says it's been a frustrating year. She got her condo at Potomac Oaks Condominiums on the same day her mother passed away.
"Every time I walked in the door I felt like I had a hug from my Mom," she told WUSA9 as she fought back tears.
She explained that the condo was her connection to her mother. Just as it was a special place for many of the other displaced residents.
"It's not just a physical structure, all of those emotional attachments that come with home that were severed so suddenly abruptly and violently," said Conklin-Kusel.
One year later, she is still not back in her home and doesn't even know when, if ever, she'll be able to return.
"What's been frustrating is the lack of visible progress in terms of the actual site," she explained.
Thursday night, WUSA9 reached out to both Montgomery County officials and officials from the City of Gaithersburg.
"Frustration to see them still experiencing this pain and these challenges a year later. It is extremely frustrating," said Dr. Earl Stoddard, who is the Assistant Chief Administrative Officer for the Montgomery County Executive's Office.
He told WUSA9 that the City of Gaithersburg has been handling this, but vowed to check on why things are taking so long.
"Certainly, we're going to do some follow-up to figure out what the delay is in this process because candidly it should not take this long," said Dr. Stoddard.
The families have also asked for access to the final investigation report. WUSA9 asked Dr. Stoddard about this.
"The more lengthy report is the Cause and Origins report and I spoke to Chief Charles Bailey, the Division Chief who oversees the fire investigative unit, minutes before this interview to get clarification. It was his understanding that he believes that report has been finished and it's certainly available to the residents, but he was going to confirm tomorrow since the manager of the division is not in the office today. But, as soon as we get back and provide information about that tomorrow on when the report will be available and if it's available immediately, we'll make sure that the residents and frankly, you all can have copies of that as well," he told WUSA9 Thursday night.
The City of Gaithersburg shared the following statement with WUSA9:
The City of Gaithersburg remains committed to doing all we can to assist the residents who were impacted by this terrible tragedy last year. Our permits and inspections staff is working closely with the contractor on the building plans for the rebuild and renovation projects. There have been several rounds of review of the plans and we think the contractor is very close to having all of the requirements of the building code addressed which will allow to us to issue the permits to start construction. Regarding social services support, please know that the City worked closely with the Countyโs Office of Emergency Management and Mass Care Operations who was the lead agency on family assistance issues. The City provided relocation and rental assistance, and connected families with sources for clothing, furniture, food, mental health, and other assistance services. We have not had outreach from residents with social services needs since last Spring. Anyone still in need of services should contact our Community Services Division.
When WUSA9 followed up with a request for an interview a spokesperson said "This statement serves as our official response".
Despite all of the frustrations, Conklin-Kusel said she is grateful for one thing, that outpouring of support from the community who donated nearly $140,000 to the families through the Montgomery Housing Partnership.
"That saved us in so many ways. I keep them in my prayers every day and thank God for that they did what they did for us. It helped us in more ways than they'll ever know," she said.
If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). You can also text a crisis counselor by messaging the Crisis Text Line at 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential.