Mini Fridge Sparks House Fire In Bel Air Basement Bedroom: State Fire Marshal

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — A two-story single-family home in Bel Air caught on fire Jan. 31 shortly after 6:30 p.m.

Located at 1201 Marston Drive, the home suffered $5,000 in loss and another $5,000 in loss of contents. According to the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the home's owner discovered a fire in a basement bedroom. The fire had self-extinguished by the time firefighters with the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company had arrived, however. The fire had burned through a drop ceiling and melted a PVC water pipe, which allowed water to pour out and extinguish the fire.

A woman at home said she heard a popping sound and then the smoke alarm sounded. She and her adult daughters escaped and called 911. Investigators determined that the cause of the fire was an unspecified electrical event that occurred within the mini refrigerator.