High winds contributed to the rapid spread of flames in a Forest Hill home on Thursday afternoon, which destroyed and house and led to the death of a family pet.
Just before 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, emergency personnel were dispatched to the 1200 block of Walters Mill Road in Forest Hill for a reported dwelling fire in a one-story, single family dwelling.
The owner of the home was alerted to the kitchen fire after hearing her smoke alarm activate. She was able to call 911 and safely escape, however, a family dog perished as a result of the fire.
Thirty firefighters from the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company responded and had the single-alarm fire under control within one hour.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal estimated the fire caused $250,000 in damage to the structure and another $50,000 in damage to its contents. The home is considered a complete loss.
The preliminary cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Photo courtesy of John Gallagher
Sad…