Fire Marshal: Small Bel Air Blaze Traced to Dryer

Firefighters put out a small blaze in Bel Air Tuesday afternoon that began in the laundry room, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Before noon on Tuesday, crews responded to the 500 block of David Drive, where there was a small fire in the laundry room, according to Rich Gardiner, spokesman for the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association.

A fire alarm had activated at the home, where a resident also called emergency personnel for a fire in the dryer, Gardiner reported.

The homeowner had put laundry into the dryer, but after the dryer shut off twice, he restarted it, according to the fire marshal.

When the resident smelled smoke a few minutes later, he saw fire under the dryer and tried to use an extinguisher to put it out himself, the fire marshal reported.

Nobody was injured, the report said.

The fire, which was contained to the dryer, was traced to a mechanical failure, according to the report. There was $1,000 in structural damage, while $2,000 worth of items inside the home were lost as well, the report said.

Photo Credit: Mark Ensor, Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company.

Previous report

There was a house fire reported in Bel Air Tuesday afternoon, according to the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company.

After noon on Tuesday, the fire company reported that its crew was assisting the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company at a house fire in the 500 block of David Drive.