ABERDEEN, Md. —
Dozens of people are without a home after a fire ripped through multiple townhouses in Harford County Saturday night, causing some to even collapse.
The number of people affected has gone up to 26, including seven children. The location that was their homes looks like a bomb went off as eight townhomes are either extensively damaged or collapsed from the fire. Fire officials believe the fire started in the back of one of these middle units.
"When I looked out the street, I could just see. It was orange. I didn't know what I was looking at, at first. I had to do a double take, and we started running," neighbor William Coleman said.
Coleman and Davia Jones’ home shook late Saturday night.
"It sounded like a bombing was happening and serious explosions. Then it just all went up in flames," Jones said.
The townhomes just down the street from them had erupted in flames. A Ring doorbell video captured one of the explosions.
"I open my garage and I just saw it engulfed. No one was outside. So, I ran around front. I didn't hear no alarms or anything. That scared me, so I started banging on all the neighbor's doors and telling them they have to get out," Jones said.
Jones likely saved some lives. She said multiple people had no idea their homes were on fire. The fire left several vehicles destroyed and three houses collapsed. Others have extensive fire, soot and water damage. The heat was so intense that it caused heat damage to homes on the other side of the street.
"You could really feel the heat. A lot of the neighbors we were talking to were talking about how you could just feel the intensity of the flames, so it was a lot. And the explosions kept happening," Coleman said.
It took Harford County firefighters two hours to get the flames under control. The block of homes is now condemned, leaving more than two dozen people, including children and animals, without their homes.
"This was definitely a lot for this community to actually go through and actually really feel the brunt of all of it. It's a lot," Jones said.
The community is now working to support the families facing devastation as Harford County Disaster Assistance and the Red Cross help out. One firefighter sustained a non-life-threatening medical issue, and no other injuries were reported. The investigation into the cause will continue. Original Story
A massive fire damaged as many as eight homes and several cars overnight in Aberdeen.
Dozens of firefighters were first called just before 11 p.m. Saturday to the 4700 block of Witchhazel Way for a fire.
Three houses suffered extensive damage, some of which collapsed inward, and houses across the street were damaged by heat.
"Some of these houses actually collapsed inward, so it's about a total of three right now with extensive damage to the other adjacent units. We're also looking at heat damage to the back side of the other houses that backed up to these," Master Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire told 11 News.
No injuries were reported.
The fire displaced many people, including several children. They are being assisted by Harford County Disaster Assistance and the Red Cross.
The cause remains under investigation, but firefighters ruled out that the fire started in front of or inside the homes, but more likely behind the homes.
"Right now, it's looking to be about four or five vehicles that we've lost. We're looking into possibly the cause of that. Are those vehicles involved? Did that possibly start the fire?" Alkire said.
About 60 firefighters from multiple fire departments from across Harford and Cecil counties responded. Fire crews had to return to the scene to address hot spots.
410-877-3787
