Fire At Portable Classroom On Route 924 Ruled Accidental

BEL AIR, MD — A portable classroom went up in flames on Sunday in Bel Air, officials said. The fire caused extensive damage to a structure used for storage, according to authorities.

Firefighters responded to the blaze at Homestead Wakefield Elementary School at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. A passerby reported the fire, officials said.

Crews converged at the 900 block of South Main Street, where the portable classroom was ablaze, and knocked the fire within minutes, according to Rich Gardiner, spokesman for the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association.

There was extensive damage to the interior of the structure, according to Gardiner.

The fire marshal estimated the blaze caused $10,000 in damage; there was $9,000 in structural damage, and $1,000 worth of items inside the portable were also lost.

The cause of the blaze was ruled accidental. The fire began in the wiring of a wall-mounted air conditioning unit located outside the 24-by-32-foot structure, according to the fire marshal.

The Homestead Wakefield PTA reported in a message attributed to Principal Chris Cook that there may be an odor in the main building, but school would continue as scheduled on Monday.

Here is the full message posted by the Homestead Wakefield PTA:

Fire update from Mr. Cook:
Good evening. There was a fire in the portable that sits in front of the Homestead building. The fire was contained to only the portable. As of now, it appears as if it was electrical in nature. There was no known damage to the main building but there may be an odor noticed until it clears. Good news is that the portable was mainly filled with just furniture that needed to be stored or it was going to be disposed. There were no known injuries associated with this event. School will continue as normal tomorrow. See you Monday!

Photos courtesy of Eric Vanderwiele and BAVFC Emergency Vehicle Driver John Gallagher and Assistant Chief Bill Snyder.