North East, MD. – At approximately 11:32 a.m. this morning, Monday July 3, 2017, fire crews from North East, along with multiple crews from Cecil County, Hartford County and Pennsylvania responded to a house fire on Grandview Avenue.
Firefighters found heavy flames shooting from both floors of the home upon arrival. The two alarm blaze, worked by fifty firefighters, was brought under control approximately three hours after they arrived on scene.
The fire started when a tenant, preparing his 2nd floor balcony for visitors to watch the North East fireworks later this evening, ignited two tiki torches on either side of his balcony and walked into his apartment, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshall.
Officials said that the man later noticed smoke and discovered one of the tiki torches had fallen to the ground/into the shower and the fire spreading upwards. He and a neighbor notified the home owner, who lives on the first floor, and she was able to safely escape. Officials said the tenant made a valiant attempt to extinguish the fire before it spread beyond his control.
The home owner is being assisted by family. Red Cross is assisting the tenant.
Officials with the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office estimated the loss to the structure at $150,000.00 and the contents at $100,000.00.
The home sits directly across the road from the McDaniel Yacht Basin.
No injuries were reported.
