Machine Malfunction Sparks Fire At Annapolis Business

Updated Monday, Aug. 31, at 10:12 a.m.

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A malfunctioning machine sparked a small fire and prompted reports of an explosion at an Annapolis dry-cleaning business on Saturday.

Anne Arundel County and Annapolis firefighters had responded to Zips Cleaners on the 1900 block of West Street around 8:45 a.m. on Saturday.

A release by the Annapolis Fire Department said a machine malfunction caused "a sudden pressure release involving the affected machine and an adjacent dryer."

Annapolis Fire Marshal Capt. Kenneth White told The Baltimore Sun that it was a malfunctioning dryer that caused a small fire and that the machine's door blew off.

People inside the business used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames before firefighters arrived, the fire department said. No one was injured, and the building sustained no damage.

Gas and electricity were shut off at the business following the incident, and it was unclear when normal operations would resume.