A fire broke out in a Maryland home, claiming the lives of three pets and leaving two others injured. The incident occurred in a single-family dwelling on Foxglove Court in Belcamp, where fire crews responded to the scene shortly after 5:30 p.m. on a Friday.
Firefighters were able to control the blaze within 20 minutes, preventing further damage to the property and its occupants. The owners were not present at the time of the fire, and fortunately, no people were harmed in the incident.
Neighbours rescued two dogs from the home, while a third dog and two cats tragically succumbed to the fire. A bearded dragon, belonging to the family, was discovered alive and was taken in for critical care, making a miraculous recovery after 24 hours.
Investigations revealed that the fire originated in the kitchen, where one of the family's dogs had jumped onto the counter and inadvertently turned on a toaster, causing nearby combustibles to ignite. The dog that started the fire was one of the two rescued by neighbours.
A Ring home security camera captured footage of the incident, showing the dog jumping on the counter and pawing at items. The footage assisted deputy state fire marshals in determining the fire's point of origin.
Deputy state fire marshals have officially ruled the cause of the fire as accidental. The house suffered extensive damage from fire, soot, smoke, and water, estimated to be around $150,000 in structural damage and $50,000 in damage to the contents of the home.
