Crime & Safety

Belcamp Blaze Started in Ductwork: Fire Marshal

The fire in Belcamp injured an employee, the Office of the State Fire Marshal reported.

One person was injured in an electrical fire at an industrial building in Belcamp Tuesday, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Related: Dust Collector Catches Fire in Belcamp

The fire began at 11:54 a.m. in the ductwork at Böttcher Systems in the 4600 block of Mercedes Drive, according to the report.

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An employee and alarm monitoring company discovered the blaze, which began in the exhaust duct, ignited rubber millings, then spread, according to the report, which said a spark detector inside the duct failed to extinguish the millings. The fire was ruled accidental.

The 50-year-old employee who found the fire tried to extinguish it and as a result, he sustained a first-degree burn to his finger, the fire marshal reported. He was treated and released at the scene, the report said.

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After the fire and sprinkler systems activated, it took 30 firefighters from Abingdon, Joppa-Magnolia, Aberdeen and Bel Air approximately 15 minutes to bring it under control, the report said.

There was $5,000 in damage to items inside the building, according to the fire marshal.

Photo Credit: Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company.

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