Joppa Man Critically Burned, Dog Hurt, In Camper Fire: Officials

JOPPA, MD — A Joppa man was critically injured with severe burns to more than 60 percent of his body, and his dog hurt in a Tuesday night camper fire.

Deputy state fire marshals are investigating the cause of a fire in a trailer on the property of B&T Services, 415 Pulaski Highway, that hurt the 38-year-old victim and his dog late Tuesday night.

Authorities have not released the victim's name, but WMAR identified him as Robert Kellog.

About 8:20 p.m., a passerby saw and reported the fire, according to the State Fire Marshal's Office. The Harford County Sheriff's Office was the first to arrive and found the burn victim and heavy fire throughout a 30-foot camper trailer parked between two buildings.

The victim told deputies he was inside when the fire started, and he and his dog were able to escape.

Firefighters from Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company and surrounding departments contained the blaze before it spread to adjacent buildings.

Paramedics treated Kellog and took him to Johns Hopkins Bayview Burn Center, where he remains in critical condition, a news release said.

Investigators said the burn victim was an employee of the company who had permission to park his camper on the property. No damage estimate was released.

While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, fire marshals cannot rule out a failure with a propane heater inside the camper, a news release said.

Kellog may have used too big a propane tank to heat the trailer, Senior Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire told WMAR. Investigators say gas grills normally use 10-pound propane tanks, compared to the 420-pound tank Kellogg tried to hook up to, which may have overwhelmed the heater in his trailer.

The Harford County Sheriff's Office Animal Control took the dog to Bel Air Animal Emergency Hospital, where it was being treated for burns.

No damage estimate has been released for the camper.