Crime & Safety

PHOTOS: Fire at Marlo Furniture Closes Rockville Pike

A two-alarm fire on the roof of the furniture store closed Rockville Pike into Town Center at the height of Wednesday evening's rush hour.

 

A two-alarm fire Wednesday night at the at 725 Rockville Pike did significant damage to the store's roof and snarled traffic in Rockville Town Center at the height of the evening rush. Two firefighters were injured.

The call for the fire came in at 6:15 p.m. County and Rockville City police closed Rockville Pike at Wootton Parkway, rerouting traffic around the northbound route into the city's downtown.

Find out what's happening in Rockvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

An NBC4 helicopter captured video of the rooftop blaze.

Two firefighters suffered heat-related non-life threatening injuries while putting out the blaze, said Assistant Chief Scott Graham of the county fire and rescue service. The store was evacuated, Graham said. No civilians were hurt.

Find out what's happening in Rockvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Firefighters extinguished the fire, which was at the back of the store, within about an hour of the call, Graham said. Firefighters fought the fire from both inside and on the rooftop of the “big box” warehouse-style building, he said.

Flames could be seen in the ceiling of the second floor and on the roof, Graham said.

Fire investigators were beginning their investigation about 7:15 p.m. Wednesday and had yet to determine an official cause of the fire.

“It looks like it started on the interior and came out,” Graham said.

About 85 firefighters responded, including units from Silver Spring, Cabin John, Kensington and Rockville.

Around 7:30 p.m. neighbors and passersby watched from the sidewalk along a nearly empty Rockville Pike and in the parking lot of nearby . Firefighters on the roof peeled back the metal façade and a two-and-a-half to three-foot high parapet.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.