Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service extinguished a two-alarm fire at the Enclave high-rise apartment complex in the White Oak area of Silver Spring on Tuesday morning.
Officials responded to the fire around 7:35 a.m. As of 10 a.m., only one person was transported to hospital for a minor injury they incurred while evacuating the buildings, according to officials. More than 30 units responded.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but MCFRS Public Information Officer Dan Ogren said it started in the hallway near the elevator lobby on the 19th floor of the 20-floor building.
Ogren said it is unlikely that any residents will be displaced by the fire, but the building is still being assessed by fire code enforcement officials. Ogren said while there was “a lot of smoke,” MCFRS responders were able to ventilate the building, limiting damage.
Montgomery County Councilmember Kristin Mink (D-Dist. 5), who represents the district where the Enclave is located, expressed gratitude to MCFRS officials on social media, but voiced concerns, saying residents told her they didn’t immediately evacuate because of false alarms in the past.
Coincidentally, the council is holding a public hearing Tuesday on a bill that was inspired by the 2023 fire at the Arrive Silver Spring apartment complex that claimed the life of a 25-year-old woman. The bill is sponsored by Council Vice President Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4), and would require a residential lease to include information related to renter’s insurance, automatic sprinkler systems and emergency evacuation and safety plans.
A bill sponsored by Silver Spring-based Del. Lorig Charkoudian (D-Dist. 20) that passed the Maryland General Assembly this session will require apartment complexes to take stronger fire safety measures, including installing fire alarms and emergency lights in common areas and requiring fire safety education and evacuation information to be provided to tenants.