Man Killed in Bel Air House Fire; Living Room Collapsed into Basement

From the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal:

A joint investigation by the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Maryland State Police is underway after a dwelling fire occurred at 1106 Saddleback Way in Bel Air.

The incident was reported at 3:13 p.m. when the owner of the home arrived and found heavy smoke conditions when she opened the front door. She immediately called 911 and awaited the arrival of emergency personnel. Harford County Sheriff’s Office deputies were the first to arrive on scene and made an attempt to enter the home but were confronted with heavy smoke and heat conditions that prevented them from entering the home after being informed her father was most likely inside the dwelling.

Nearly 50 firefighters from the Bel Air, Darlington, Joppa, Fallston, and Jarrettsville Volunteer Fire Departments arrived shortly afterward and entered the smoke filled dwelling, quickly performing a search of the 1st and 2nd floors. They extinguished a fire in the living room floor area and subsequently performed a search in the basement where they located the body of the victim among debris from the 1st floor.

Investigators determined the fire originated in the 1st floor living room and collapsed into the basement along with the victim. The cause for the fire remains under investigation at this time. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has collected the body to determine the cause of death and confirm the identity of the victim.

Smoke alarms were determined to have been operating during the incident. Damage loss estimates to the structure and contents are valued at nearly $50,000. One firefighter received a minor injury and was treated and released at the scene.