Firefighter Injured Battling House Fire: Howard County Fire Officials

A firefighter was injured in an inferno that erupted after lightning reportedly struck a home Tuesday morning near Frederick at Marriottsville roads, according to the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services.

Crews were dispatched after 5 a.m. Tuesday for a report of a house struck by lightning, according to the department. Flames and smoke were billowing from the attic and roof of a house in the 3000 block of Homeland Way when they arrived, the department reported.

More than 45 firefighters from Howard County and the Sykesville Freedom District Volunteer Fire Department helped battle the blaze, according to the report.

After starting an aggressive attack, firefighters had to evacuate because the roof collapsed, the report said.

One firefighter was taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries, according to authorities. The injuries, which consisted of “strains and sprains,” occurred during the partial collapse of the roof, according to WTOP.

Fire officials said the blaze was under control by 6:25 a.m. and crews had cleared the scene by 7:40 a.m.

The Red Cross was assisting the residents of the home, which sustained more than $250,000 in damage, the department reported.

An older couple lived in the residence, according to WNEW.

They had evacuated before the fire department arrived, Chief Stephen Hardesty told WTOP.

Severe weather was reported elsewhere in the county, as a storm blew through the area overnight. There was 1-inch hail reported in Columbia after 5 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Photo Credit: Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services.