CECIL COUNTY — Firefighters spent over four hours fighting a three-alarm fire in Cecil County.
Around 5:30 p.m., a business fire was reported in the 100 block of W. Main Street in Elkton.
When crews arrived, they discovered heavy fire from the rear of the business to the roof.
The fire began in the back of an apartment building and spread to the old Howard Hotel, which is now vacant and dates back to 1853.
"It's been an extremely stubborn fire," said Sr. Dep. State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire.
An off-duty firefighter happened to be in the area when the fire started. He immediately took action to try to get the fire under control, but the fire spread too fast.
His first priority was ensuring the building was clear of people.
“This is a really rare case. We actually have someone with knowledge on you know how the fire started and how they can assist us so we're very fortunate and thankful that he was able to assist our investigators,” said Alkire.
More than 100 firefighters from Harford County, Cecil County, Delaware, and Pennsylvania were called to the scene.
One firefighter suffered minor injuries while battling the blaze which left nine people displaced.
The American Red Cross is assisting those victims. It's estimated the fire caused $1.5 million in damage.
Although the cause remains under investigation, investigators say they have no evidence of arson.
