by Geoff Fox
The Maryland State Fire Marshal investigated two fires in Little Orleans and Hancock over the Labor Day weekend.
The first fire occurred around 11:48 p.m. in the 10000 block of Orleans Road NE in Little Orleans on Sunday, September 1.
The structure fire involved a sawmill and was discovered by a passerby, the Fire Marshal’s Office said. The area of origin was an open area between the diesel fuel tank and the diesel engine.
There were no injuries.
It took 20 minutes for 34 firefighters from Little Orleans and area firefighters to knock the fire.
The estimated total loss was $50,000. The cause is under investigation.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call the Western Regional Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal at 301-766-3888.
Main Street fire
Hancock Fire Company responded to a fire in the early morning hours of Monday, September 2, for a fire in the 100 block of East Main Street.
Just before 5 a.m. on Monday, a two-story single-family residence caught fire, which the Fire Marshal’s Office has ruled accidental due to a grease fire on the stove. The occupants of the house discovered the fire.
It took 40 firefighters from Hancock, Berkeley Springs, Great Cacapon, and Berkeley County to get the fire under control.
The family has been displaced by the fire and receiving assistance from the American Red Cross.
The Fire Marshal said the estimated loss in the fire was $85,000.
