Investigators have determined that a three-alarm fire Tuesday in an Owings Mills townhouse complex was sparked by an unattended stove. Damage from the fire, which spread to a dozen other townhouses, was estimated at more than $1 million.
The fire at 15 Old Coach Lane, which was reported about 2 p.m., prompted a response by about 80 firefighters with some 40 fire engines, ladder trucks and other equipment.
"The fire required additional units so that crews could rotate on a regular basis and find relief from the heat," a statement from the Baltimore County Fire Department said Wednesday. "The fire spread quickly partly because of the shared roof construction of the building."
The blaze at the Morningside rental complex was brought under control about 3:50 p.m., the statement said.
Thirteen adults and 12 children were displaced, and managers at the complex were working to move the families into vacant dwellings. Officials from the American Red Cross were helping residents with immediate needs, the Fire Department said.
There were no civilian injuries, but a volunteer firefighter from the Owings Mills Volunteer Fire Company was taken to Sinai Hospital for treatment of heat exhaustion.
Fire officials said they plan to visit the townhouse complex at 7 p.m. Friday to address questions from the community about the fire.