An early morning fire, which took 50 firefighters an hour to get under control, caused an estimated $600,000 in combined damage to a Forest Hill home on Tuesday.
Just after 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday, a fire was reported at a two-story wood framed dwelling in the 2400 block of Dixie Lane in Forest Hill.
The fire was discovered by the home’s occupant on the exterior rear wood framed deck. Fifty firefighteres from Bel Air, Jarrettsville, Fallston, Darlington, Level, Abingdon, and Havre de Grace responded to the two-alarm fire, which took one hour to control.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office estimated the fire caused $500,000 in damage to the home and another $100,000 in damage to its contents.
A smoke alarm was present and working in the home and a preliminary cause remains under investigation.
Anyone with information concerning the above incident is asked to contact the Bel Air Office of the State Fire Marshal at (410) 836-4844.
I can tell you we have had a problem with hoodlums coming onto our deck and turning the gas on to our grill…. this is a recurring problem…luckily we haven’t suffered anything other than constantly checking the grill and replacing all the propane tanks…scary situation though.
A few neighbors have had similar incidents.
(We live in Fallston)
Those ‘hoodlums’ are likely your neighbor’s kids…
I agree
You know, I think there is something to this.
I’ve noticed that similar theme in a bunch of these incidents recently.
For instance:
– April 11, 2012 in Edgewood = “fire had been discovered by occupant’s daughter on the exterior front deck”
http://www.daggerpress.com/2012/04/11/fire-damages-deck-of-edgewood-home/
– April 12, 2012 in Aberdeen = “neighbor reported the fire at approximately 8:20 a.m. on the rear deck of a townhouse”
http://www.daggerpress.com/2012/04/12/aberdeen-townhouse-damaged-in-thursday-morning-fire/
Propane tank tampering is all too common and not specific to HarCo.
Make sure when you break the story that you thank Chel!
I am the home owner in this disaster. After investigation from the State Fire Marshal’s office and a private agency sent by our insurance company it was determined that it was not the grill, or any accelerant or any electrical problem. What investigators are leaning towards is that a “sky lantern”, also known as “Chinese lanterns”, may have landed on one of our redwood chairs on the deck. They are inclined to think this because the morning of the fire, two of our close neighbors each found a sky lantern in their yard. One neighbor stated that the lantern had burned a bush before going out.
We are hoping to get the word out to as many folks as possible, that these sky lanterns are very dangerous. They can travel for up to 5 miles and carry enough fuel to continue burning once they land. They are pretty seeing them go into the sky, but no one really can control where they may go or land. They are sold at Walmart, Five below and on the Internet.
Please tell you family and friends NOT to purchase or use them.
Thanks.
Yikes! So sorry for the loss of your home. Is there anything you need? Post here and provide an address (church, relief org, etc…) to drop stuff off. I can’t do much, but I can attempt to do my part to ease your loss. I am glad you and your family escaped unhurt – that is most important.
Having never heard of ‘sky lanterns’, I searched and found the description below on Amazon. Further searches found calls for a ban in the UK; their use is reportedly regulated in Austria and Germany.
Sky lanterns give you the opportunity to create a truly unique experience for your event or celebration that will be remembered. You can be sure that everyone will want to share the same memories with their friends and family at their events! When sky lanterns are simultaneously released into the night sky they create a truly mesmorizing display, which is both noiseless and epic. They are ideally suited for a multitude of celebrations such as Weddings, Birthdays, Anniversaries, New Year parties, back-yard BBQ’s, tailgating and much more. They are easy to use and come complete with simple to follow instructions. Sky lanterns are also known as Khoom Fay, Khoom Loy, Kung Ming, Sky Lanternen, Himmelslaternen, Fire Lanterns or UFO Balloons. They utilise the heat of fire to create an unforgettable moment. These fully biodegradable lanterns are made out of rice paper, non-toxic wax and bamboo. They are fitted with fuel cells for a longer flight and will burn for 5 to 10 minutes and can fly over a mile high!
According to Wikipedia, they are banned in Austria, Austrailia, Brazil, and parts of China and Germany. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_lantern
Also banned in Vietnam and Thailand per the Guardian (UK)http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/ethicallivingblog/2009/jul/31/sky-lanterns
The UK is working towards a ban. http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/07/11/2011/129921/BBC-cameraman-calls-for-sky-lantern-ban.htm
http://www.bantheskylantern.org.uk/
Since the description above by the home onwer says multiple lantern remains were found in close proximity to each other. I would guess that they had not travelled a long distance which would have dispersed their landing further.