Firefighters Battle Blaze, Summer Heat in Bel Air Townhouse Fire

By Sean R. Sedam and Tyler Waldman

It took 40 firefighters from multiple Harford County companies about a half-hour to bring a townhouse fire in Bel Air under control early Saturday afternoon, fire officials said.

There were no injuries in the fire in the Seasons at Bel Air complex in the 900 block of Hillswood Road, according to a post on the Harford County Md Fire & EMS PIO Media Page on Facebook.

The Red Cross was called to assist a family of five who was displaced, fire officials said. Two neighboring units suffered only smoke damage.

The state fire marshal determined a malfunctioning oscillating fan in a second-floor room sparked the fire, causing about $50,000 in damage, Harford County Fire and EMS Association spokesman Rich Gardiner posted on the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company page on Facebook.

Firefighters on the scene of the fire requested additional units to rotate in, allowing others to take a break in the hot weather as temperatures Saturday hovered around 90 and humidity pushed the heat index above 100.

The fire was the second in the neighborhood in three days. A fire in a townhouse in the 900 block of Pentwood Court early Wednesday morning caused $500,000 in damage. No residents were injured, but a firefighter suffered minor injuries in a fall. The state fire marshal's office ruled Friday that the fire was a result of improperly disposed coals from a charcoal grill.