HAGERSTOWN, MD – A late-night blaze tore through a two-family home on East Wilson Boulevard early Friday, displacing five people but sparing their lives thanks to a working smoke alarm.
Flames erupted just after midnight inside the ceiling space above a kitchen, officials said.
It took firefighters about an hour to bring the two-alarm fire under control.
Key Points
- Fire started in the kitchen ceiling from an electrical malfunction in a recessed light
- Five residents and a dog escaped unharmed after smoke alarms sounded
- Damage estimated at $250,000 across structure and contents
Fire started in ceiling of duplex kitchen
Investigators from the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office said the fire began when a can light in the kitchen ceiling malfunctioned, sparking flames that spread through the second floor of the duplex. The structure at 301 East Wilson Boulevard shares a wall with another unit on Rose Hill Avenue.
The residents on the Rose Hill side — two adults, two children, and a dog — were asleep when their smoke alarms went off. They awoke to find smoke pushing through their ceiling and quickly evacuated, calling 911 as flames tore through the neighboring unit.
Firefighters battle heavy smoke and flames
Roughly 40 firefighters from the Hagerstown Fire Department responded, arriving to find heavy smoke and fire coming from the second floor. Crews worked for an hour before the blaze was contained, preventing total loss of the structure.
No one was home in the East Wilson Boulevard unit at the time of the fire; the residents were reportedly out of town for work.
Damage and investigation
Officials estimated $200,000 in structural damage and another $50,000 in lost contents. The fire was ruled accidental.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal credited the home’s working smoke alarms for preventing injuries or fatalities.
Authorities remind residents to test their alarms monthly and replace batteries regularly. Anyone with information on suspicious fires can contact the Arson Hotline at 1-800-492-7529.