At 5:15 on January 19, a passerby noticed that the house at 1 Lakeview Circle was on fire. No one was hurt, though there was considerable damage to the building. The passerby saw smoke coming from the roof and flames inside the second story window. Within five minutes firefighters from Greenbelt, Beltsville, Branchville and other county departments were on the scene. Firefighters reported attacking the fire in the kitchen area, as well as in the top floor and attic. Fire crews had the fire under control within 20 minutes, though trucks lined Lakeside Drive for a few hours.