Investigators have determined an unattended burn barrel caused a fire in mid-May that caused $10,000 worth of damage to vehicles and equipment on a property near Havre de Grace.
The May 16 fire was sparked accidentally after a 55-gallon drum, being used as a burn barrel, ignited nearby trash and construction debris on a property at the tip of a 1,000-foot driveway at 4064 Gravel Hill Road, according to a news release from the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
The blaze spread to an Ingersoll-Rand portable generator, roll-back tow truck and a 2000 Ford Windstar van owned by Christopher Garrett, grandson of property owner Edward Rembold, according to the Fire Marshal's Office.
Rembold found the fire and tried to pull the tow truck away with a backhoe, but was deterred by "intense heat and flames," the news release states.
Harford County's 911 system received numerous calls after witnesses saw a heavy plume of smoke from the area.
No one was injured in the blaze. About 60 firefighters spent 45 minutes bringing the two-alarm fire under control. The firefighters responding were from Level, Aberdeen, Bel Air and Rising Sun fire companies, as well as Susquehanna Hose Company.
No charges were filed nor violations found by the Fire Marshal, spokesman Oliver Alkire said.
Also, he said, "Mr. Rembold continues to deny that he had a burn barrel," even though investigators interviewed witnesses who saw it.