Cigarettes Light Two Bel Air Fires in Two Days: Officials

A small fire that broke out near a building in Bel Air Wednesday was believed to be caused by a cigarette, the second in as many days attributed to improperly discarded smoking materials, officials said.

The fire reported Wednesday in the 400 block of Franklin Street started when someone dropped a cigarette into a pile of leaves, according to the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company.

Firefighters arrived to find an old equipment shed and telephone pole ablaze and used a hand line to put it out, the fire company reported.

This was the second fire in two days in which Bel Air fire officials cited cigarettes as a factor.

On Tuesday, the fire company asked people to be mindful of cigarette disposal after mulch ignited and damaged the front of an apartment building.

“This was a close call—please dispose of cigarettes properly,” the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company said in a statement.

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The building in the 400 block of Franklin Street where firefighters responded Wednesday has been the site of numerous fires in the past 40 years, according to Bel Air Fire Chief Rick Davis. Photo Credit: Mark Ensor, Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company.