ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN AN INTERIOR WALL ABOVE THE FIREPLACE STARTS A
FIRE THAT DAMAGES A HOME NEAR SHARPSBURG, MARYLAND
Thursday, January 29, 2015
An electrical failure caused a fire that ripped through the
roof of a house Thursday morning near Antietam National Battlefield.
Mark Kopp, deputy chief of the Williamsport Volunteer Fire
Co., said no one was injured in the fire, which was reported shortly after 8
a.m. in a single-story brick home at 16815 Taylors Landing Road.
He said heavy fire could be seen coming through the roof
when firefighters arrived about 8:30 a.m.
“Crews made an aggressive attack on the structure,” said
Kopp, noting that "heavy contents" inside the house made it difficult
for firefighters to maneuver.
But firefighters were able to control the bulk of the fire
fairly quickly, he said.
The blaze caused an estimated $65,000 in damages to the
structure and $10,000 in damages to the contents, according to a news release
from the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Authorities said an electrical failure caused the fire,
which started in an interior wall above the fireplace.
The fire initially was believed to have been extinguished by
the occupants, but it smoldered and spread rapidly through the walls.
The occupants of the home, who were identified as David and
Marilyn Ashcraft, were displaced by the fire, the fire marshal's office said.
The Ashcrafts are being assisted by the American Red Cross.
Nearly two dozen vehicles from several Washington County
fire companies lined Taylors Landing Road during the fire.
A number of tanker trucks were called to haul water to the
remote location. Water from the trucks formed patches of ice on the frigid
ground.
Firefighters could be seen using a ladder truck to get on
the roof to extinguish remaining hotspots.
Smoke was still rising from the chimney area of the house as
of 10 a.m.
Taylors Landing Road remained blocked off in the area of the
fire as firefighters from Boonsboro, Sharpsburg, Williamsport and a number of
other companies worked the scene.
