$500K In Damage To Home Cause By Discarded Grill Coals

ABINGDON, MD — Discarded coals from a grill sparked a house fire Tuesday night at a home in Abingdon.

The fire broke out Oct. 14 shortly after 6 p.m. at a home located in the 400 block of Amy Drive. According to the Office of the State Fire Marshal's Office, the owner had put coals from a grill that were no longer needed near a woodpile earlier in the day. The female owner was home, heard noises and discovered a fire had broke out and spread to the back of the home. She attempted to extinguish it with a garden hose before it had spread beyond her control, the state fire marshal's office stated.

Forty firefighters from the Abingdon Fire Company battled the blaze and had it under control within 15 minutes. The two-story, single-family home with an attached garage experienced $500,000 in loss of contents and structure damage, the state fire marshal's office reported. Two adults have been displaced and are being helped by Harford County Disaster Assistance.

"The Office of the State Fire Marshal reminds everyone to treat all ashes and coals as hot ashes, even when you think they have had time enough to cool. Take care to dispose of them wisely. Your house, deck or garage are unsafe locations for storing ashes while they cool and have been the site of many recent and devastating fires both locally and nationally. Store cooled ashes in a tightly covered metal container and keep it outside and at least 10 feet from your home or nearby buildings," the state fire marshal's office stated.

The Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal recommends the following:

• Do not discard your ashes into any combustible container such as a paper or plastic bag, a cardboard box or a plastic trash can.
• Do not place ash containers on decks, porches or in garages.
• Put ashes into a non-combustible metal container with a lid.
• Pour water into the container to make sure the ashes are cool.
• Keep your can outside the home, away from your fireplace or stove and anything combustible.
• Teach all family members to be safe with ashes from your fireplace or wood stove.