Several families displaced, 1 injured after fire at Gaithersburg apartment

GAITHERSBURG, Md. (7News) — An apartment fire in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Thursday night displaced several families after flames tore through the top floors of a four-story building, according to the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS).

Crews responded around 9 p.m. to the 9800 block of Mahogany Drive, where heavy flames were showing from the third and fourth floors, according to MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer.

Piringer said the fire escalated to a second alarm as firefighters worked to bring it under control.

Firefighters battle a two-alarm blaze at the Sawyer Flats apartments in Gaithersburg, Md., on April 9, 2026. (Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service)

ALSO READ | Maryland reaches settlement with owner of Dali, cargo ship in Key Bridge collision

During multiple rescues, crews removed a resident and a dog from the top floor. Other occupants were assisted out of the building.

Piringer said one adult was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Roughly 85 firefighters were called to the scene, and several families were displaced as a result of the damage.

Much of the fire was knocked down as of 10 p.m., officials said.

By early Friday morning, officials said the fire was accidental and likely linked to improperly discarded smoking materials, including cigarette butts placed in plastic containers.

The investigation remains ongoing.