Joppa House Fire: One Injured, Cat Perished, Fire Marshal Says

JOPPA, MD – A house fire early Monday morning injured one person and caused extensive damage to a Joppa duplex, according to officials. One pet was lost in the blaze, the fire marshal reported.

Officials said one of the residents awoke at 1:45 a.m. to find smoke and heat in the house in the 100 block of Haverhill Road. She woke up her stepfather and her son, who were able to get out. The fire marshal said that there were no smoke alarms or sprinklers in the residence.

The 69-year-old stepfather went back inside to rescue the family dog, and he suffered from smoke inhalation and first-degree burns to the face as a result, the fire marshal said. He was taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center for treatment.

One cat perished in the fire, officials reported.

Approximately 30 firefighters from the Joppa-Magnolia, Abingdon, Bel Air, Fallston, APG, Kingsville and White Marsh controlled the one-alarm blaze in 35 minutes, the fire marshal said.

The fire marshal estimated there was $170,000 in damage; there was $145,000 in structural damage, while $25,000 worth of items inside the house were lost.

The Red Cross and Disaster Assistance are assisting the family who lived in the house where the fire broke out. The attached home also sustained extensive damage from smoke, heat and water, according to the fire marshal, who reported the owner is receiving assistance from friends and family.

The cause and origin of the blaze remain under investigation, the fire marshal reported Monday morning.

Photo showing the fire courtesy of Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company. Pictures of the aftermath are courtesy of the Office of the State Fire Marshal.