Fire Damages Senior Condos In Bel Air, Frightened Cat Reunited With Owner

BEL AIR, MD — A frightened and soaking wet cat was happily reunited with her owner by firefighters after an automatic fire sprinkler system helped halt a fire at Park View at Bel Air, a four-story, 101-unit senior condominium.

Sunday around 1:15 p.m., the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company received an automatic alarm that was upgraded to a work fire at the senior condominium complex located at 555 South Atwood Road. Firefighters evacuated the building and found a fire in the kitchen of a fourth-floor apartment and one activated fire sprinkler.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal arrived and the man living in unit 421 told investigators he noticed fire coming from behind his stove and refrigerator. He tried to extinguish it himself but the fire took off and the sprinkler system activated. He left the unit as quickly as he could but had to leave his scared cat Betty behind, according to the state fire marshal.

Investigators determined the fire started in the kitchen and was caused by an electrical failure linked to the refrigerator. While investigating the fire's origin, they found Betty wet, meowing and hiding. Thanks to the sprinklers, only the residents in the unit where the fire started - 421 - and the units above and below are damaged and residents displaced.

Damages were limited to an estimated $50,000, and no injuries were reported. The unaffected residents were allowed to return to their units.

"Residential fire sprinklers are proven to save lives, prevent injuries, protect proper and in this case, our beloved pets. This is yet another example of how the presence of an automatic fire sprinkler system protected occupants and prevented substantial fire damage to residential property," Harford County Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray said.