One person was hospitalized Tuesday after a house fire in Edgewood that left much of the two-story structure gutted.
Firefighters with the Abingdon Volunteer Fire Company, with support from the Aberdeen Proving Ground Fire Department and the Bel Air and Joppa-Magnolia volunteer fire companies, got the fire in the 400 block of Winterberry Court under control in 30 minutes.
Firefighters, who were alerted shortly after3 p.m., had to cut through the rear of the home's roof, because solar panels covered the front of it.
Joppa-Magnolia Fire Chief Ryan Barrow said the panels present additional risks for firefighters because they cannot be cut through or pried up, as firefighters could be electrocuted, and the panels put additional weight on a roof when the rafters and supports could be weakened by fire.
"It's something we have to be educated in as technology has come about," he said about dealing with the panels.
One occupant of the dwelling was taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore for treatment of smoke inhalation, Barrow said.
Senior Deputy Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire, public information officer for the Office of the State Fire Marshal, said the fire started in a rear sun room. The cause is under investigation, he said.