Dog Started Fire In Bel Air, Investigators Say

BEL AIR, MD — A dog searching for food on a kitchen counter accidentally turned on the stove Sunday morning in Bel Air, starting a fire and displacing a family, authorities say. Nobody was injured in the blaze, but there was damage, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The homeowner awoke to the smell of smoke in his residence in the 400 block of South Fountain Green Road at 4:40 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18, investigators said.

A fire had broken out on the stove, where the burner had ignited multiple items, according to authorities.

Officials said the man woke up his family — including two children — and they left the home.

Firefighters from the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company brought the blaze under control in five minutes, the fire marshal reported.

"Investigators credit the quick actions of firefighters in containing the fire to the kitchen," the fire marshal said in a statement Sunday. "Deputy State Fire Marshals concluded a pet dog was attempting to gain access to food on the counter, turning on a control knob, subsequently igniting combustibles on top of the stove."

The smoke alarm at the home did not activate, authorities said.

Crews said while they quickly contained the fire, smoke damage remained throughout the home.

There is an estimated $50,000 in structural damage, according to the fire marshal, who said the residents were staying with family.