Novelty Lighter Explodes Sparking Townhouse Fire In Joppa

JOPPA, MD — Investigators have disclosed the cause of a fire that broke out at a three-story end of the group townhouse in Joppa last month.

The home caught on fire June 28 shortly before 6:30 p.m. after the owner ignited a newly purchased novelty-style lighter that exploded, catching a synthetic couch and other combustibles on fire. The owner wasn't injured. The home, located in the 200 block of Staysail Drive in Joppa, experienced $50,000 in damage and loss of contents. Three adults and one child were displace, the state fire marshal's office reported.

Twenty-five firefighters with the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company spent only five minutes gaining control of the fire, which was discovered by the owner on the first floor of the townhome. The state fire marshal's office emphasized that because the property had working fire sprinklers, the fire couldn't quickly spread and the family had time to evacuate.

"Residential fire sprinklers kept the fire in check until firefighters arrived and extinguished the remaining fire, which contained it to the living area along with smoke and water damage," the state fire marshal's office stated.