Fire Ravages Bel Air House

A man and his three dogs safely escaped a fire that left his Bel Air home in shambles.

Around 9:05 p.m. flames erupted in the house in the 200 block of Broadview Avenue in Bel Air, off MD Route 1 across from the , according to spokesman for .

"I heard a pop noise and the car port was on fire," resident Robert Mehl said Thursday night as he stood on a neighbor's porch.

Mehl said he believes the fire started outside. He added he sacrificed his cars to the fire so he could get his dogs to safety.

Gardiner said the original 911 call indicated people may be trapped inside the home, but when firefighters arrived, Mehl and his dogs were already safely out of the burning home.

Volunteer firefighters from Abingdon, and Fallston volunteer fire companies brought the fire under control in about 20 minutes, Gardiner said.

"It was hard to get inside because there were a lot of contents in the home," Gardiner said.

Follow Bel Air Patch on Facebook and Twitter for updates and other breaking news.