One man died and four other people, including three firefighters, were injured in a three-alarm apartment building fire in Rockville early Saturday morning.
The fire broke out just before 1 a.m. at the Halpine View apartments in the 12800 block of Twinbrook Parkway.
Upon arriving minutes later, firefighters encountered heavy fire coming from the second and third floors of a three-story garden-style apartment building at 12819 Twinbrook Parkway, Peter Piringer, county Fire and Rescue Service spokesman, reported. More than 100 firefighters were on the scene.
Fire officials believe the fire might have burned undetected for a significant period of time, he said. Fire officials do not know where smoke alarms might have been located in the apartment unit, or whether they were working.
Shortly after firefighters began battling the blaze, the third floor collapsed, sending two firefighters from the third level into the second floor, where the fire began, Piringer reported.
A ‘‘Mayday” distress signal, signifying a firefighter is down or injured, was immediately activated, Piringer said, but the two firefighters jumped through a second-floor window, landing on the ground below. In doing so, the two sustained serious injuries, he said. The third firefighter also was able to get out of the burning building.
Eber Alaman, who lives in the apartment complex, saw the two firefighters coming out of the window ‘‘covered in fire,” he said later Saturday morning
He said it appeared one rolled out and one jumped out.
At about the same time, rescuers found a man in a second-floor apartment near the front door and took him out of the building, Piringer said.
Timothy Moran, 50, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, Piringer added.
Moran was the lone occupant of that apartment unit. Investigators believe the fire originated in the bedroom of that apartment, Piringer said.
Moran is the third residential fire fatality of the year in Montgomery County, Piringer reported.
Firefighters rescued four residents from the apartment building, Piringer said. One of them was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, he said.
Fire Capt. R. Dwayne Dutrow, 38, a 17-year veteran of the Fire and Rescue Service who is also a paramedic, was flown to the MedStar Burn Unit at Washington Hospital Center with serious, but not life-threatening injuries, Piringer said.
Firefighter James Heikka, 31, an eight-year veteran of the fire service, was also flown to the MedStar Burn Unit with serious, but not life-threatening.
Both Dutrow and Heikka are being admitted to the hospital, Piringer reported late Saturday morning.
Firefighter Mark Mechlin, who has been with the fire service for about one year, was taken by a medic unit to the MedStar Burn Unit with less serious injuries, Piringer said. He is expected to be treated and released, he said. Piringer did not have a specific age, but said Mechlin is in his 20s.
The cause of the fire appears to be accidental, but remains under investigation, Piringer reported Saturday morning.
Damage is estimated to be $1.1 million, including $1 million to the structure and $100,000 to the contents, he said.
The building is not fit to be occupied, he said early Saturday afternoon.
The American Red Cross is working with Grady Management to relocate residents and provide shelter and other needs. Residents in about 14 apartment units need assistance.
A temporary shelter was set up at the former Broome Middle School at 751 Twinbrook Parkway.
A woman in the management office asked a Gazette reporter to leave the apartment complex property late Saturday morning.
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