Firefighters say 166 people were displaced from the complex with bitter cold temperatures coming over the weekend.
SILVER SPRING, Md. — Frigid temperatures have settled over the D.C. region, with extreme cold and wind expected over the weekend. Now, hundreds of people living in downtown Silver Spring have been forced out of their apartments because of a ruptured pipe.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer said fire crews were called to the Alexander House apartments in the 8500 block of Second Avenue for a report of a water leak. Once crews arrived on scene, they discovered a ruptured sprinkler pipe on the 17th floor of the building.
Piringer said water from that leak has reached the basement of the building and into an electrical utility area. As of Friday afternoon, 166 residents who live in the building have been forced out of their apartments. Piringer said the whole building could be evacuated if the leak continues.
It is not clear whether the pipe ruptured due to the cold temperatures in the region. WSSC Water has issued an essential-water-use-only notice for all residents living in Montgomery County and Prince George’s County as the Arctic air takes hold.