Strange Smell Spurs Building Evacuation, Shuts Down Rockville Pike Tuesday

MCFRS: Concrete solvent caused the odor and was not considered a safety hazard

Reports of an odd smell near Town Center spurred the evacuation of a building and temporarily shut down Rockville Pike on Tuesday morning. Montgomery County Fire & Rescue officials said that concrete solvent caused the odor and determined it wasn’t a safety hazard. A building in the 100 block of Rockville Pike was evacuated at around 9:30 a.m. due to reports of a “chemical odor.” Two people were taken to the hospital for check-ups. The road was closed to accommodate fire trucks and equipment, a Fire and Rescue Service spokesman told Patch.

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PHOTOS: Rapid Intervention Training in Rockville

Rookie firefighters completed training at Rockville’s Station 3 on Wednesday. Rapid intervention teams are on the scene, ready to leap in action if a firefighter gets trapped in a fire. Photos courtesy of Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service.

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$1.2 Million Grant Helps County Replace Old Defibrillators

Fire officials: Upgrading to the new cardiac monitors—known as Lifepak 15s—will save lives.

The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service was awarded a $1.2 million federal grant to replace old cardiac defibrillators, MCFRS announced Thursday. Fire Chief Richard Bowers said more than half of the department’s cardiac defibrillators have been in use since 2002, longer than recommended. Fire officials said upgrading to the new cardiac monitors—known as Lifepak 15s—would save lives. The equipment enables first responders to quickly diagnose a patient in the field, provide quick access to clinical information and faster treatment while simultaneously transmitting critical patient information directly to the hospital’s emergency department before arriving at the hospital. Funds are from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s …

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Gazette: What's Next For Karma Academy in Rockville?

The Gazette explores what may happen to the Karma Academy, the former site of a residential facility for youths and, prior to that, home to Silver Spring resident Gary Batz.

Fire at Karma Academy Caused $250K in Structure Damage

Cause of fire still under investigation.

A fire early Wednesday caused $250,000 in structure damage to the Karma Academy, a youth treatment facility that has been vacant for years. The cause of the large blaze is still under investigation, fire officials said in a press release Friday. At around 4:30 a.m. Thursday, firefighters were dispatched to 175 Watts Branch Parkway for an initial report of a fire in the woods. But crews arrived to find a large vacant building engulfed in flames. No injuries were reported.

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2-Alarm Fire Torches Karma Academy

MCFRS: Cause of fire under investigation; no injuries reported

Firefighters are investigating what sparked a two-alarm fire that broke out at a vacant facility in Rockville early Thursday. Asst. Chief Scott Graham said firefighters were dispatched at around 4:45 a.m. to 175 Watts Branch Parkway, the site Karma Academy treatment facility for boys. The facility has been closed since 2010. The fire was extinguished by 7 a.m., according to Graham. No one was injured in the blaze. Graham said the damage was still being assessed and the cause of the fire had not yet been determined.

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