GAITHERSBURG, Md. — Several witnesses spoke with WUSA9 after a large explosion and fire in Gaithersburg Wednesday morning sent at least 10 people to the hospital and displaced dozens from their homes.
Crews were called to the Potomac Oaks Condominium Complex in the 800 block of Quince Orchard Boulevard for a report of a building fire and possible explosion around 8:40 a.m.
Several victims were trapped on the upper floors and had to be rescued by ladder, or jumped out windows. Montgomery County Fire & EMS Fire Chief Scott Goldstein said none of the injuries were from fire or smoke inhalation, but could not say whether they were from jumping, being hit by debris or general shock.
One resident, Melba Martinez, and her husband were headed to school drop off, when they say they watched their neighbors homes literally explode.
“The fire just spread in seconds,” said Martinez.
Her husband had to rescue one of their neighbors from the second story of the burning condo building.
"He pulled him out of the danger, and the minute that he did that the whole thing crumbled down after that," Martinez said. "But, I’m in shock that this happened? I never experienced this before."
Linson Matute Mendez heled lead three injured adults out through blinding smoke, including a mother and her baby. He carried the child, who he thought might have already been dead. Thankfully, the baby was able to be revived in the fresh air, and was taken to the hospital with its mother.
Linda Balmer is new to the neighborhood and was a dentist appointment just across the street when the incident occurred.
“I heard an explosion go off it sounded like somebody dumped a garbage can," Balmer said.
She couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the plume of smoke.
“We got up and looked out at to some of the other windows and saw that the building was on fire," Balmer said.
Martinez says her concern is now for her many neighbors who've lost so much just before the holidays.
“Horrible to see there's a lot of people without a home right now," she said.
Investigators are still working to identify the exact cause of the fire. Two of the buildings are still too unstable to go in and search for additional victims, or survivors.
"There will be small pockets of burning material for several hours or maybe even a day or more to come," Goldstein said.
