Fire Sweeps Through Three Townhomes in Derwood

No one was injured when heavy fire swept through three townhouses in Derwood early Sunday night, a Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said.

About 100 firefighters responded to the fire, in the 17600 block of Shady Spring Terrace, just after 7 p.m., Assistant Chief Scott Graham said.

The fire started in an end unit and spread to a second, and then a third, adjoining townhouse, Graham said. The third home sustained minor damage, he said.

It appeared that no one was in the first home at the time of the fire and that the smoke alarm did not activate, Graham said.

It took firefighters 15 minutes to bring the blaze under control, he said.

The Fire & Explosives Investigations section of the fire and rescue service is investigating the origin of the fire, Graham said.