Two people were hospitalized with minor injuries and a dog was killed after a fire tore through a home in Columbia early Wednesday morning, according to the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services.
A third person refused medical treatment.
About 30 firefighters and paramedics responded to the scene in the 6100 block of Forty Winks Way for a report of a fire about 4:45 a.m. and found heavy flames coming from a split-level home, officials said. They contained the fire within about 45 minutes, but remained on the scene as of 6:15 a.m. to ensure the fire did not reignite.
A damage estimate was not immediately available, but the house will likely be deemed uninhabitable, officials said. The displaced family will be staying with neighbors.
Fire investigators are working to determine a cause.
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