Dog Believed To Have Hit Knob On Stove, Starting Anne Arundel County House Fire, Officials Say
LINTHICUM HEIGHTS, Md. (WJZ) -- A dog hitting a knob on a stove is believed to be the cause of a house fire that displaced five people and ten dogs over the weekend in Anne Arundel County, fire officials said.
The fire broke out around 2:30 a.m. Saturday at a home in the 400 block of Oak Grove Road. The Anne Arundel County Fire Department said firefighters arrived to find smoke coming from the building.
All five people inside were able to escape before firefighters arrived, for which officials credited working smoke alarms. Firefighters were able to rescue eight puppies.
The homeowner told officials he woke up to the alarms sounding and found a fire in the kitchen, which he tried to extinguish before crews arrived.
The two adults and three children inside were taken to an area hospital to be assessed for possible smoke inhalation. A police officer suffered a cut to the hand while helping one of the home's residents escape through a window.
The fire caused an estimated $20,000 in damage, officials said.
The American Red Cross is helping the victims.