A man's body was found in the debris of a 2-alarm fire in Gaithersburg, Maryland, overnight.
Firefighters were called to the 1800 block of Windjammer Way in Montgomery Village about 10 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a deck fire, said Montgomery County Fire spokesman Pete Piringer.
Piringer said the fire quickly spread to a two-story townhouse. Firefighters initially thought the intense fire was being fueled by gas.
"It's just like having a candle continuously burning that you can't put out, said Chief Scott Goldstein.
Fire officials say two people living on the second-floor of the home got out safely and told firefighters they didn't think the person living on the first-floor was home.
Firefighters rescued two neighbors and initially thought everyone was accounted for. But they later found a man's body in the basement amongst debris.
Lynn Korne, a friend of the victim, said she talked to him two days ago.
"He cleaned up his life, and I told him that I miss seeing him," Korne said. "He's in my prayers."
Several pets were also missing.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
