2-Alarm Fire Breaks Out Off Creswell Road: Officials

BEL AIR, MD — A two-alarm building fire broke out near Bel Air Sunday, officials said, closing MD 543 for approximately five hours so firefighters from multiple companies could battle the blaze.

Heavy smoke was through the roof of a building in the 2400 block of Creswell Road when first responders were dispatched to the fire at 11:10 a.m., according to Jenn Chenworth, spokeswoman for the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association.

The fire was under control by 3:30 p.m., according to the fire marshal, which reported the old mansion was built in 1868 for the last owner of Harford Furnace, Clement Dietrich.

Because of where the bulk of the fire was located, the Office of the State Fire Marshal said in a statement that it was using a drone to investigate.

"We used the drone because given the height of the building, they were having difficulty making access up there," Senior Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire told Patch.

Using the drone "gives a good overview of the scene — what's secure, what’s not secure," Alkire said.

"Investigators are still on scene, still actively working," Alkire said after 10:15 p.m. Someone will be posted there overnight to ensure the site is secure, he said.

The origin and cause of the blaze remain under investigation.

Firefighters from Bel Air, Abingdon, Fallston, Joppa-Magnolia and the Susquehanna Hose Company were among those who handled the incident.

By 11:17 a.m., crews had called for a second alarm, meaning additional trucks responded. A tanker truck was also called in, Chenworth said, and firefighters were working defensively to control the fire from the exterior of the building.

Despite initial reports that the fire was at an Arrow facility, representatives from the organization that helps children in need said the structure was not owned by Arrow.

"The mansion is on the same grounds that Arrow facilities are on ... but it's owned separately," Paige Lines, community relations director for Arrow Child & Family Ministries, told Patch by phone Sunday afternoon. "All Arrow staff and residents are safe, and the fire is not touching any Arrow facilities."

Arrow Crossroads Transitional Living, a residential program for girls ages 13 to 21 in the foster care system that prepares them for independent living, is in the 2400 block of Creswell Road.

"We do not occupy, own or have any operations whatsoever in that building. We are on the same campus," Arrow's Chief Relations Officer Debi Tingler told Patch by phone Sunday afternoon.

"All our residents and staff have been accounted for and are doing well," Tingler said. There are 17 residents in the Arrow Crossroads program, she said, and a fluctuating number of staff based on shift.

UPDATE: 2 Teens Missing After Fire On Creswell Road; Officials Concerned

Authorities ask anyone with informatio

While Arrow does not have any affiliation with the building that was impacted by the fire, which Tingler said was privately owned, she told Patch: "We’re so sad to see this beautiful historic building on the same property be impacted."

Noting Arrow had seen and received comments after the fire indicating the building had been a college at one time and the source of memories for many community members, Tingler said: "It’s heartbreaking."

The building "had been undergoing some renovations for some period of time," she said, and "to our knowledge, there was no one holding any facilities or services there."

MD 543 was closed between Goat Hill Road and Route 136, fire officials said after 11:45 a.m., at which point no injuries had been reported.

At 4:15 p.m., state transportation officials said Route 543 had reopened.