THURMONT, Md. — Nearly a month after a massive fire destroyed a dining hall at a Jewish summer camp for boys in Frederick County, it's unknown what actually caused the blaze.
The building at Camp Airy had damages estimated at $2 million, and more than 100 firefighters battled the fire June 29.
On July 18, Sarah Campbell, spokesperson for Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services, said:
"Our investigation is complete. It remains undetermined, but investigators have ruled out anything intentional."
The fire was under control in three hours; however, crews stayed throughout the day to continue extinguishing hot spots.
A Frederick County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer and a Maryland State Trooper saw the smoke on the second floor and assisted in evacuating the building.
No one was injured.
"We want to applaud our counselors and senior staff for keeping our campers calm and safe throughout the event," the camp said.
Arriving fire crews located the camp’s dining hall with visible smoke and a rapid intervention dispatch, tanker task force, and second alarm were requested.
A local construction company provided an excavator to assist with moving debris so that firefighters could access material that was still smoldering. More than 85,000 gallons of water was placed on the remnants of the structure to ensure it was completely extinguished.
The camp is back operating as normal.
The camp is located about 7 miles from Camp David.
