Deck Fire Quickly Extinguished

Crews from Sykesville and surrounding companies were alerted for a report of a deck on fire in the area of Circle Drive and Kyle Drive, Monday morning, October 22.

Sykesville's Engine 124 arrived on the scene within minutes to find smoke coming from the rear of the house. As crews proceeded to the rear of the house, they learned that a neighbor that had discovered the fire. He grabbed a garden hose and had extinguished much of the fire before the arrival of fire crews.

The crew from Engine 124 then began checking for futher fire spread. The fire was contained to the deck area and with the quick action of the neighbor kept the fire from spreading to the house.

The State Fire Marshal's Office has determined that the cause was accidental due to a discarded cigarette.

Careless discarding of smoking materials is a prime cause of many house fires. This is the third recent fire that is suspected to have started in such a fashion. On September 17, a Sykesville family was left homeless by a fire started by a cigarette discarded outside. And on April 25, a three alarm fire destroyed several Eldersburg townhomes, again because of a carelessly discarded cigarette.