Trespassers Ignited Fire off Route 924: Fire Marshal

The fire at a vacant home in Abingdon Thursday that closed part of MD Route 924 for several hours was the result of a scrap metal theft gone awry, officials said.

At approximately 1:15 p.m., trespassers were trying to steal metal tanks from the 3300 block of Emmorton Road when heating oil ignited, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The trespassers—whose identities are unknown—had used a portable grinder to try to cut the legs off the oil tanks, which caused sparks that ignited nearby brush and leaves, Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire told Patch.

The fire was accelerated by the heating oil still in the tanks, and the trespassers left the scene, according to Alkire.

A state trooper who was passing by saw the fire and reported it, Alkire said.

Approximately 30 firefighters put out the blaze within 45 minutes, the fire marshal reported.

Crews from Abingdon, APG, Bel Air, Joppa-Magnolia as well as the Harford County hazardous materials team and Maryland Department of the Environment responded, according to the report. Nobody was injured, according to the fire marshal.

Route 924 was closed between Box Hill South Parkway and Singer/Abingdon Road as firefighters worked at the scene, some taking their hoses through the woods to get to the house, according to the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company.

All lanes were clear by 5 p.m., according to the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company.

There was $5,000 in structural damage to the home as a result of the fire, according to the fire marshal, who said the cause was ruled accidental.

As for the scrappers, they left without the tanks, according to Alkire.

“Apparently, it’s been a longstanding issue,” Alkire said. “Last summer they took the tin off the roof. They’ve taken everything. There’s nothing left short of those oil tanks that they could’ve scrapped.”

The investigation is over, he said.

“While the theft of metal is illegal, they never made off with it,” Alkire said. “They never maliciously or intentionally set the fire. The fire got going, it got a little out of control, and they fled. So our case will be closed as accidental.”

Photo Credit: Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company.