Update 12/18/2019:

The victims of a 2016 gas explosion in the Flower Branch Apartments in Silver Spring have reached a settlement with Washington Gas and the building’s landlord, Key Management, according to news reports.

FOX 5 was the first outlet to report on the settlement. The terms are confidential.

Back in April, the National Transportation Safety Board announced that the fire and explosion were caused by an unconnected gas service line that leaked gas into a basement room.

Seven residents died in the explosion, 30 were injured, and 84 families were displaced.

Original:

CASA de Maryland, a Latino and immigration advocacy group, announced today that it has partnered with “two very powerful law firms” to begin the litigation process for victims of the deadly fire that took place in Silver Spring last month.

The organization is seeking “just compensations for the losses of our community,” CASA Executive Director Gustavo Torres said. In addition, “we believe that we need changes in the laws and policies that will make our communities safer and let all Maryland residents live in communities where they feel valued,” Torres said.

The fire erupted on August 10 at the Flower Branch Apartments on Piney Branch Road. “One of the fire stations about a mile away felt the explosion just before midnight, prior to getting the 911 dispatch to the structure,” Montgomery County Fire Department Chief Scott Goldstein said at a press conference following the incident.

The fire took the lives of seven people, including two children. Thirty people were injured and 84 families were displaced—many of whom are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, according to Torres.

More than a week after the fire, authorities announced that it was the result of a natural gas explosion, which was sparked in a meter room in one of the two buildings that were destroyed during the incident. “At this point and time, there is no indication that any criminal activity occurred,” said a representative from the Baltimore branch of the the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

An investigation is currently being handled by the National Transportation Safety Board, a federal group that reports directly to Congress. An NTSB spokesperson said that it may take up to one year to close the investigation, and part of the findings will include determining what exactly ignited the explosion.

Meanwhile, an attorney from one of the law firms said today that they’re starting their own investigation to determine who is responsible for the fire. While no defendants have been named yet and it’s unclear how much money the plaintiffs are seeking, litigation is slated to begin in a few weeks, the attorney said.

This post has been updated with news of the settlement.