CITY LIGHTS OF CHINA FIRE CAUSES OVER $400K IN DAMAGE AT BETHESDA RESTAURANT (PHOTOS)

A kitchen fire after midnight on Sunday at City Lights of China caused over $400,000 in damage to the Bethesda restaurant, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesperson Pete Piringer. Piringer said the fire has been ruled accidental, and investigators determined it was electrical in nature. Heavy smoke poured from the roof, and fire officials had to temporarily close that block of Bethesda Avenue.

City Lights moved to 4953 Bethesda Avenue last year, and its original Bethesda Row location was taken over by ShopHouse. Piringer said a health inspector has been requested to examine the damaged restaurant.

Interior damage at
City Lights of China

Photos: Pete Piringer via Twitter

APPARENT FALSE ALARM AT 2 BETHESDA BUILDINGS LAST NIGHT (PHOTOS)

Something drew a major response from several area firehouses last night on Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Eventually those units departed without incident. Scanner reports indicated that firefighters were checking the roof of one of the tallest buildings in downtown Bethesda, the Capital One towers (Chevy Chase Bank building). Nothing was found. Firefighters were also seen inside the lobby of the Akridge-developed 7550 Wisconsin office building.

Firefighter in lobby at
7550 Wisconsin

FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO SMOKE AT BETHESDA METRO STATION (PHOTOS)

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue services responded to a report of smoke at the Bethesda Metro station around 9:00 PM tonight. No fire was found. Trains were briefly slowed along the Red Line. According to MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer, the smoke was coming from an arcing insulator in the tunnel just outside the station.

By 9:30, a station announcement by Metro indicated trains were back on their normal weekend schedule. Firefighters and investigators handed over the issue moments later to Metro maintenance crews.

Battalion Chief on scene at
Bethesda Metro station tonight

Firefighters in Bethesda Metro station

There was minimal
disruption of train service

A few tense moments,
but all smoke and no fire