A firefighter was injured battling a fire at a Joppa home Monday afternoon that sent another man to the hospital, fire officials said.
The fire in the single-family, rancher style home in the 1000 block of Emmerick Drive was reported at 2:45 p.m. by Nicholas Schweitzer, the 18-year-old son of homeowners William and Colleen Schweitzer, according to a notice of investigation from the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
Nicholas Schweitzer was home alone when he discovered the fire in the living room, according to the release. He was able to safely escape with two dogs; however, a cat perished.
About 25 firefighters from Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company were able to contain the fire to the living room in about 10 minutes; the rest of the house suffered extensive smoke and soot damage, the fire marshal’s office said.
Nicholas Schweitzer was taken to a local hospital for observation, and a Joppa-Magnolia firefighter was treated at the scene for an injury.
The fire caused an estimated $20,000 in damage to the structure and $20,000 damage to the contents.
The cause is under investigation, according to the fire marshal’s office.
The American Red Cross is assisting the family.