Fire investigators believe a space heater caused an apartment fire in Bel Air on Friday morning, damaging a small business.
The fire occurred in a second-story apartment above the consignment store Olivia’s Shop around 12:12 a.m., according to the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal.
The two-story building did not have smoke detectors, fire alarms or a sprinkler system. A 7-year-old woke his mother up, and they were able to safety evacuate with the third occupant, an 18-month-old, and two dogs, according to a release.
About 30 firefighters with the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company responded to the one-alarm fire and extinguished it in 10 minutes, according to the fire marshal’s office.
The fire was contained mainly to a bedroom and adjacent rooms with extensive heat, smoke, soot and water damage throughout the apartment, according to the release. The first-floor consignment shop sustained water damage and has since temporarily closed.
After a preliminary investigation, the fire was deemed accidental and the result of a “space heater coming in contact with an ordinary combustible object,” the release says.
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The fire is believed to have caused $50,000 in estimated structural damage and $50,000 in loss of contents, according to the fire marshal’s notice.
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