Bel Air Family 'Unequivocally' Saved by Smoke Alarm: Fire Marshal

BEL AIR, MD — The smoke alarm "unequivocally" saved the lives of a woman and children who lived at a Bel Air home where fire broke out overnight, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Unattended cooking caused the blaze after the resident fell asleep on the couch at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, officials said.

When she awoke to the sound of the smoke alarm, she found a kitchen fire at her home in the 600 block of South Atwood Road. She gathered her children, who had been asleep upstairs, and evacuated.

Realizing she left her keys inside the middle-of-group townhouse, the woman went back to get them, then drove to the nearby 7-Eleven on Baltimore Pike to report the fire at approximately 1:30 a.m., according to authorities. The fire marshal emphasized the importance of the "Get Out, Stay Out!" protocol if there is a working fire, advising residents never to return inside for anything.

Approximately 35 firefighters responded and brought the blaze under control within 20 minutes, officials said.

There was $30,000 in structural damage and $10,000 worth of items inside the home were lost as well, according to the fire marshal.

Relatives and the Red cross were assisting the family. One adult and two children were displaced, according to the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company.

Photos courtesy of Captain Harrington of the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company and the Office of the State Fire Marshal.