CAMBRIDGE, Md. — Two dogs died in a fire, and a third is missing, after improperly-stored ash from a wood stove caused a fire in Dorchester County yesterday afternoon.
The fire destroyed the one-story, wood-frame home in Cambridge, causing an estimated $300,000 in total damage, said the Maryland State Fire Marshal's office.
It was sparked by ash from a wood stove; the ash was being stored in a plastic container, and hot embers ignited the container, which spread quickly to a wooden fence and then the house.
The State Fire Marshal's office notes residents shouldn't use paper bags, plastic containers or cardboard boxes to store ash from a wood stove or fireplace.
The fire was reported at 3:05 p.m. Dec. 21, on Algonquin Road. It was discovered by a neighbor, and about 30 firefighters spent 45 minutes getting it under control.
No one was injured, but two dogs died, and a third is unaccounted for.
