A woman was treated for smoke inhalation after a massive blaze destroyed her home in White Oak, Maryland, fire officials say.
The home was a total loss, with damage estimated at $750,000, Pete Piringer, a spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue, said.
About 4:30 a.m. Sunday, the fire broke out. The woman was the only person inside and escaped after inhaling some smoke.
"A door closed behind her and locked and, so, for whatever reason she was unable to call 911 at that point," Piringer said.
Neighbors were awakened by the fire and called 911.
"I saw, like, this ball of fire...It was very orange," said Nicholas Le, a boy who lives next door. "It was like the Sun."
The woman was taken to a hospital for treatment.
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More than 75 firefighters responded to battle the heavy flames. They spent hours bringing the blaze under control from outside the home because part of the roof collapsed.
The fire's heat melted some of the vinyl siding on Le's house.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
