


A strip mall in Rockville, Maryland, caught fire Thursday, engulfing an auto body shop, a laundromat and several parked vehicles.
The fire was reported at around 5:20 a.m., according to a post from Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service Public Information Officer Pete Piringer on X. The blaze was declared a two-alarm fire at 6:11 a.m.
In subsequent posts on X, Mr. Piringer noted no injuries occurred but that significant structural damage hit Soto-Leeson Linen & Laundry Services and Motor Works. Several parked cars also burned.
The fire was extinguished by 8:32 a.m. Fire officials are calling it an accident.
“[It] appears as though fire had burned for a while before discovery,” Mr. Piringer wrote.
He also posted a video of firefighters battling the blaze.
Around 95 firefighters responded to the scene, according to the MoCoShow local news and podcast website.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.