Owner Injured Trying To Put Out HdG House Fire, Investigators Say

HAVRE DE GRACE, MD — One person was injured in a house fire in Havre de Grace on Thursday, and the fire marshal credited the homeowner with minimizing damage.

The owner, who lived alone and was home at the time, tried to put out the fire and then closed the bedroom door to contain it, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The blaze in the 700 block of Gashey Drive started in a bedroom around 2:25 p.m. An electrical failure sparked the fire, according to investigators, who ruled it accidental. Smoke alarms were present and operational in the home, officials said.

When crews arrived, smoke was showing from the home, and part of Chapel Road was closed so first responders could run the supply line down the street, the Susquehanna Hose Company reported. About 25 firefighters had the blaze under control within five minutes, officials said.

A medevac was called to take one person, who suffered potential airway burns, to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, according to the hose company, which reported due to weather, the helicopter was not available.

The fire marshal described the homeowner's injuries as minor.

Damage was estimated at $7,000, including $5,000 in structural damage and $2,000 worth of items inside that were lost, the fire marshal said. The fire damage was limited to the bedroom.

"Investigators credit the owner with the closing bedroom door behind him, subsequently containing the fire," officials said.

Related: House Fire In HdG Closes Chapel Road: Officials