WESTMINSTER, Md. – A Carroll County family escaped unharmed after a fire, sparked by discarded cigarettes, tore through their home early Christmas morning, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Investigators said the blaze broke out around 2:56 a.m. at a two-story split-foyer home on the 600 block of Sunflower Court. A neighbor spotted flames on the rear porch and alerted authorities. Firefighters from Westminster Fire Department and Carroll County Department of Fire and EMS, along with several surrounding companies, responded and brought the fire under control within 15 minutes.
All four adult occupants made it out safely, officials said, but the home sustained an estimated $250,000 in damage and is considered uninhabitable. The Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents.
Deputy State Fire Marshals determined the cause to be accidental, tracing the ignition to discarded smoking materials left on the back porch. Smoke alarms inside the home activated only after the fire was discovered.
Officials said approximately 50 firefighters responded to the one-alarm blaze, preventing the flames from spreading to nearby homes.
Investigators say a Westminster house fire that caused $250,000 in damage on Christmas morning was accidentally sparked by discarded cigarettes.