Dozens of firefighters respond to blaze atop Bethesda high-rise

By Jack Pointer
April 27, 2021 | 1:20 PM

A fire broke out late Tuesday morning atop a residential high-rise in North Bethesda, Maryland.

The two-alarm blaze started around 11:40 a.m. at the Monterey Apartments, located on Towne and Montrose roads, one block north of the Pike and Rose district.

No injuries have been reported.

The blaze was located either in or on an HVAC unit atop the 15-story building, and was out by 12:15 p.m.

A spokesman for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue, Pete Piringer, said on Twitter that about 75 firefighters responded to the blaze, which sent up a plume of smoke that was visible for several blocks.

WTOP’s Steve Dresner contributed to this report.

Maryland Zoo’s lone female elephant moving as facility transitions to all-male herd

By Catherine Chen
August 23, 2026 | 5:48 PM

The Maryland Zoo is preparing to say goodbye to its only female African elephant as it changes to an all-male herd. Felix, a 43-year-old elephant who has lived at the Baltimore zoo for 19 years, will move to another facility later this week. Zoo officials said the move is in Felix’s best interest because it will give her opportunities to socialize with other female elephants. Her interaction with other females have been limited since the zoo’s other female elephant died in 2024. “We will all miss her but having social companionship in a female herd is the best thing for Felix’s overall well-being,” Mammal Curator Erin Cantwell Grimm said.

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