Six Pets Perished in Forest Hill House Fire: Officials

A home was destroyed and six animals’ lives were lost Wednesday in a Forest Hill house fire caused by an electrical malfunction, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

At 1:31 p.m. on Wednesday, a neighbor discovered that a fire had broken out in the 400 block of Forest Valley Drive, the fire marshal reported.

Approximately 30 firefighters from Bel Air, Jarrettsville and Fallston responded to the blaze, which began in an interior bedroom, according to the fire marshal.

There was “serious damage” to the rancher-style home, the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association reported.

Damage was estimated to be $270,000—including $220,000 in structural damage and $50,000 worth of items lost inside—the fire marshal reported.

One dog and four cats perished in the fire, according to the fire marshal.

The blaze was accidental, caused by ”an unknown electrical malfunction with a multi-outlet electric power strip,” according to the fire marshal’s report.

Photo Credit: Nick McGowan of the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company

Editor’s note: The article has been corrected to indicate that six pets were lost.