Fire in Finksburg causes estimated $200,000 worth of damage

FINKSBURG - While there were no injuries at a house fire that began in a basement near Finksburg Sunday morning, damage to the house is estimated at $200,000.

At 9:35 a.m., a call was placed about a house fire in the 1700 block of Doe Drive. A woman and four dogs were home at the time of the fire and all made it out safely, according to Clay Myers, the public information officer for the Gamber fire company.

Gamber, Reese, Sykesville, Westminster and Reisterstown fire companies all responded to the fire, which was contained in about 20 minutes, but took until about 12:45 p.m. to clean up, Myers said.

The fire is the third this year in the Finksburg neighborhood. Each of the incidents were basement fires, but none are thought to be related, Myers said. A fire on Feb. 11 caused substantial damage to the rest of a home and killed a family dog.

None of the four people who lived at the residence on Doe Drive in February were home at the time of the fire, according to a previous interview with Myers. The property damage caused by that fire is estimated to be worth approximately $200,000.

Another fire in the neighborhood occurred March 3, Myers said.

While the Office of the State Fire Marshal is still investigating the cause of the most recent fire, the blazes on Feb. 11 and March 3 are thought to be caused by "after market" items such as power strips and extension cords, said Bruce Bouch, the media relations officer with the Maryland State Fire Marshal.

"It's just very random," Bouch said.

Once the cause of a fire is deemed accidental, it goes on to the insurance companies to determine the true cause. Bouch believes the first two fires appear to have been caused by electrical devices that plug into outlets in the home.

"It appears in all three cases that we're dealing with electrical homeowner used items purchased from a store," Bouch said.

In all three cases, the homes did not have a working smoke detector, which is cause enough for alarm, Bouch said. Gamber fire company is looking to go into the areas it serves next weekend to check if residents have working smoke detectors, Bouch said.

A resident should have a smoke detector in every level of the home, and also in all sleeping rooms, Bouch said.

Bouch also said to check electrical equipment and make sure there's not frayed wiring or other damage. Only buy electrical products that have been inspected by laboratories such as UL, or Underwriters Laboratories, and that are stamped on the extension cord or power strip, Bouch said.

"If there is damage, either have it properly repaired or replaced. Don't just use electrical tape and cover it up. We have to be mindful," Bouch said.

In the three cases of basement fires Gamber has responded to, it appears each could have been prevented or reduced with some regular maintenance, Bouch said.