Report: Furnace Fire Chases 24 From Apartments Christmas Eve

A fire that began in a second-floor apartment's furnace in the 8800 block of Hunting Lane in the Laurel area meant two dozen people had to find other shelter Christmas Eve, according to news reports.

At the same time, a hose that fell from a fire engine on the way to the fire damaged cars and caused an injury, according to The Washington Post.

Mark Brady, Prince George’s County fire department spokesman, said the fire around 4 p.m. apparently started in the apartment's furnace, causing about $45,000 in damage, the Post reported.

Brady told the Post the hose fell on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway near Route 197.

A resident told WJLA that the furnace had been repaired hours earlier.

"Our youngest was home and he smelled smoke -- it got worse and worse, so he grabbed the dogs and luckily he got out safely," Philip Myers told the station.

At one point, flames shot six feet in the air, according to reports.

Eleven apartments were damaged, but there were no injuries at the apartment building, WJLA reported.