Cat Lost In Bel Air Blaze, Fire Marshal Says

BEL AIR, MD — Crews battled a house fire in Bel Air Tuesday afternoon where officials said a family of five lived. None of the humans was injured in the blaze, according to the fire marshal, who said that a cat was believed to have perished.

At 4:27 p.m., firefighters were called to the 300 block of George Street, where a single-family home was ablaze, according to Jenn Chenworth, spokeswoman for the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association.

A passerby noticed the fire and alerted those in the backyard, who included a neighbor as well as a man and his daughter who lived in the home, officials said. The man broke a window and tried to put out the blaze with a garden hose, the fire marshal said.

The fire started in the living room, which had been converted to a bedroom in the single-story home. According to the fire marshal, two adults and children ages 5, 10 and 11 lived at the George Street residence.

By 4:50 p.m., firefighters from Abingdon, Bel Air and Fallston had brought the blaze under control, according to Rich Gardiner of the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company.

Live utility wires were down in the area, prompting additional response by BGE, Gardiner said. The Bel Air Police Department advised people to avoid George Street between South Atwood Street and Archer Road.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation. The fire marshal stated Tuesday night that an "overloaded extension cord cannot be ruled out."

There was $60,000 in structural damage, while $20,000 worth of items inside the home were lost as well, according to the fire marshal.

Photos courtesy of Bill Snyder, John Gallagher and Mark Ensor of the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company.