Charcoal embers cause $350K fire near Clear Spring
May 18, 2017 Updated 12 hrs ago
CLEAR SPRING, MD — A fire that destroyed a single-family home north of Clear Spring early Thursday has been ruled accidental.
The blaze — which caused an estimated $350,000 in damage — started from smoldering charcoal embers that ignited under an exterior porch at the 13138 Draper Road home, according to a news release from the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office.
The family had been grilling on the porch the evening before when the grill tipped over and spilled smoldering embers, the release said.
The embers were doused with water, but "it appears the fire resulted from some live embers under the porch that failed to be extinguished and continued to smolder," investigators said.
No one was injured, but the occupants of the home, Joseph and Pamela Chaney, have been displaced and are being assisted by family, the release said.
The fire initially was reported as a porch fire but quickly spread to other areas of the structure, a Washington County Emergency Services supervisor said earlier Thursday.
It took 60 firefighters about 40 minutes to control the blaze, which was reported at 6:19 a.m.The loss to the one-story, wood-framed dwelling was estimated at $250,000, plus about $100,000 in contents, the release said.
The fire this morning on Draper Rd was at Joe and Pam Chaneys house. They unfortunately lost everything. Please keep them in your thoughts. The Chaney family have been lifetime supporters of the Clear Spring VFD. Please read the following and help them if you can. Let's come together as a community as we have in the past and give them the support they need to get through this rough time. Thank you.
It appears that there is a business on this property as well: Joe's Auto Body also has its address at 13138 Draper Road.