In a little-noticed development, an unidentified suspect or suspects used what investigators believe to be an “improvised incendiary device” to start a fire around 1 a.m. on April 1, 2021, that destroyed the Gaithersburg, Md. home of a lesbian couple.

The couple, who along with their children were away on vacation at the time of the fire, say they initially chose not to go public about the incident out of fear for their safety in what they and investigators say could have been an attempt to target their family because of their sexual orientation as a hate crime.

Although the fire was reported by local Montgomery County news publications at the time it occurred, none of the publications reported the home was owned and occupied by a married lesbian couple.

“We’re generally very private people,” one of the two women told the Washington Blade. “But I think more importantly, we had some significant security concerns,” she said.

Among other things, a bomb squad investigator with the Montgomery County Department of Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS), which acts as the local fire department, told the couple the individual or individuals responsible for the fire, if apprehended, would be charged with attempted murder in addition to arson.

Lt. Francisco Martinez, a spokesperson for the MCFRS, told the Blade the fire in question remains under “active investigation.” He noted that in May of this year, investigators announced they are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the Gaithersburg arson incident.

Martinez also said investigators with the MCFRS have assessed the damage caused by the fire to the couple’s house at about $550,000, with $350,000 estimated for the structure of the house and $250,000 for the destroyed contents of the house such as furniture and belongings.  

He said investigators are appealing to the public for help in identifying a suspect or suspects responsible for the fire. Anyone with information that might be helpful in any way is asked to call the Montgomery County Crime Solvers line for anonymous tips at 1-866-411-8477 or the Montgomery County Arson Tip Line at 240-777-2263.

The couple told the Blade that they were not aware of anyone in the immediate neighborhood who expressed hostility toward them as a same-sex couple and household, and they have no idea who or why someone would want to firebomb their house other than possibly because of anti-gay hatred.

“We have lived in that neighborhood for about seven years,” one of the women said. “We were as far as we knew the only out LGBTQ family in the neighborhood,” she said, adding that the couple was also “very active” in the community.

“So, we were always very out and open, and everyone sort of knew who we were and what we were about,” she said. “And we did not face any, as I said, hostility, nothing overt. But we certainly were different from the rest.”

In a written statement they sent to the Blade, the couple said they do not believe Montgomery County fire investigators have adequately investigated the fire.

“Although Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services personnel informed us that the arson was being investigated as an attempted murder, they failed to inform Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) of this unprecedented crime,” the statement says. “To date, there are no local police investigating the crime,” their statement says.

“The stalled investigation of this crime has been so riddled with missteps, incompetence, and failures that the lawyers we’ve consulted with have raised the possibility of MCFRS involvement in the arson and/or complicity in covering it up,” the statement continues. “As both victims as well as Montgomery County residents, this possibility is terrifying,” the two women say in their statement. “When we, personally, informed MCPD of this crime, we were advised by leadership to go to the press with this.”

In response to a request by the Blade, Martinez, the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, said he would contact MCFRS officials to obtain a response to the statement alleging that the investigation was stalled and has been “riddled with missteps, incompetence, and failures.” 

Charles Bailey, the Division Chief of Operations for the MCFRS, contacted the Blade late Friday in response to Martinez’s inquiry. He said he can confirm that the fire that destroyed the home of the two women remains under active investigation and that Montgomery County police are also involved in the investigation. But he said he cannot comment further on an active, ongoing investigation.

“We are working with the county police on this and I think that’s important to know,” he said. “But now is just not the right time to say anything more than that. And hopefully there will be a right time when we can talk about this whole thing,” he said. 

The couple’s statement also says they have been informed that as of early this year, the FBI, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division were all investigating the arson that destroyed their home.

Martinez said he couldn’t immediately confirm whether the three federal agencies were specifically involved but said it wouldn’t surprise him if they were involved.

“I know what I was told was other agencies were involved,” he said. “And obviously the FBI and ATF, they also help generally in cases of arson and explosives and things like that.”

 Concerning the claim that Montgomery County police were not involved in the investigation, Martinez said that, in fact, they are because fire investigators take on the role of sworn police officers.

“Our fire investigators, our fire and explosive investigators are police officers,” he said. “And they go through the police academy, and so they are lieutenants in the service,” he said. “They are a specialty unit, and they have full police authority and police training.”

Martinez said that while he is not directly involved in the investigation, he is certain from speaking with officials on the investigative team that an active investigation is continuing to look into all possible motives for the fire, including a bias-related motive.

“They are still following up on any leads and they are still hoping to get any tips on that arson fire,” he said. “Certainly, fire investigators along with other agencies took all those possibilities seriously and have been following up on any possible motive regardless of what it may be,” he said, referring to a possible hate crime motive based on the couple’s sexual orientation.