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Two-Alarm Car Fire Tears Through Bel Air Garage, Home

A malfunctioning car that had just been parked in the garage of a Harford County home sparked a two-alarm blaze that caused approximately $500,000 in damage and left a family temporarily displaced, according to the Maryland Fire Marshal.

The fire caused massive damage to the Harford County home.

The fire caused massive damage to the Harford County home.

Photo Credit: Office Of The Maryland State Fire Marshal / Bel Air Fire Department via John Gallagher

First responders were called shortly before 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, when a fast-moving fire spread from the garage of a two-story home to the rest of the residence on Adelaide Lane in Bel Air.

According to fire investigators, the owner had recently returned home and parked a 2010 Acura TSX inside an attached garage. Approximately a half hour later, a landscaper who was mowing the lawn advised the homeowner that there was smoke showing from the garage.

The owner opened the inside door of the garage and was met with heavy smoke. He then got out of the house, opened the garage door, and unsuccessfully attempted to knock down the flames with a fire extinguisher.

Investigators say that the fire damaged another vehicle inside the garage and another parked in front of it. It caused an estimated $250,000 in damage to the structure of the home and another $250,000 to its contents. 

Following the fire it was determined that a mechanical failure within the engine compartment of the Acura caused the two-alarm fire that took nearly four dozen firefighters a half hour to control.

"Investigators credit firefighters' quick response with containing the bulk of the fire to the garage and the attic of the home," officials said. 

The displaced family is being assisted by other family members.

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