Fire Marshal: Homeowner Treated for Smoke Inhalation in Joppa House Fire

Want more news? Get the Bel Air Patch daily newsletter.

A Joppa house fire that began with improperly discarded smoking material sent one person to the hospital and caused $50,000 in property damage, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The owner of the home in the 2500 block of Franklinville Road discovered the blaze at 4:14 p.m. Wednesday, the fire marshal reported.

Two people who were inside got out before first responders arrived, according to the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company, which had the first crew at the scene.

Approximately 40 firefighters from Joppa-Magnolia, Abingdon, Kingsville and Fallston brought the fire under control within 30 minutes, the report said.

The homeowner, a 79-year-old man who tried to put out the fire himself before the arrival of firefighters, was taken to Upper Chesapeake for treatment of minor smoke inhalation, the fire marshal reported.

• One Injured in Joppa House Fire, Officials Say
• Cigarettes Light Two Bel Air Fires in Two Days: Officials

Investigators determined the fire started in the second-floor bedroom, where smoking materials were not properly discarded, according to the report. There was a working smoke alarm inside, which activated, the report said.

There was $25,000 in structural damage to the home, and $25,000 worth of items inside were also lost, the report said.

The fire marshal said the residents were being assisted by family.

Photo Credit: Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company.