Fire at Whiteford Woodworking Shop Started in Ceiling: Officials

WHITEFORD, MD — Fire that began in the ceiling of a woodworking shop caused $6,000 in damage Friday morning, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

A passerby reported the blaze in the 1600 block of Main Street at 7 a.m.

Approximately 40 firefighters responded and contained the blaze to the ceiling area of the single-story building, which housed a woodworking shop, the fire marshal reported.

"Extensive accumulation of sawdust was present in the ceiling," the fire marshal said. "While the fire remains under investigation, an electrical failure within the ceiling cannot be ruled out."

There was $5,000 in damage to the structure, which authorities said was owned by R. Roberts & Son and leased by Palatial Designs. Approximately $1,000 worth of items inside were also damaged, the fire marshal reported.

Nobody was injured, and the precise cause of the blaze remained under investigation Friday afternoon.

WHITEFORD, MD — Some roads may be closed in Whiteford Friday morning related to a building blaze near Main Street, according to Harford County emergency personnel.

Cews responding to a report of a fan ablaze found fire in the ceiling and roof of the 100-by-150-foot structure, said Rich Gardiner, spokesman for the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association.

At 8:15 a.m., the fire at R. Roberts & Son was under control, after crews from Harford and York County had been battling the blaze for about an hour, Gardiner said.

Drivers were advised to expect road closures on Green Marble Road and Main Street related to the water supply required to extinguish the fire.

"Crews are dealing with freezing conditions which makes water supply and general firefighting tasks much more difficult," Gardiner said.

Temperatures were in the teens Friday morning in Whiteford and felt like 3 degrees with wind chill at 8 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Images via the Office of the State Fire Marshal.