CUMBERLAND — Two occupants of an East Elder Street residence were injured when fire broke out early Wednesday afternoon, and a volunteer firefighter was injured in a fire two hours earlier in Bowling Green.
Another fire occurred Wednesday in a vacant Cedar Knoll Lane residence in the Baltimore Pike area but there were no injuries.
All three fires were ruled accidental, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The Allegany County 911 center reported that the injured occupants in the 12:18 p.m. fire at the Owen Hoover residence at 138 E. Elder St. were taken to the Western Maryland Regional Medical Center by Short Gap ambulance and District 16 ambulance. They were being treated for smoke inhalation.
City firefighters and numerous allied companies — LaVale, District 16, Ridgeley (W.Va.), Shaft and Short Gap volunteer fire departments — totaling 40 members remained at the scene at about 2 p.m., along with a Cumberland Fire Department ambulance.
Fire operations were under the direction of Capt. Daron Winters and Fire Chief Donald Dunn assisted.
Wiley Ford, Corriganville and Bedford Road firefighters along with off-duty city firefighters manned reserve equipment at headquarters. Cumberland Police and Allegany County Fire Police controlled traffic. City utility workers, Columbia Gas and Potomac Edison also responded.
Cumberland Fire Marshal Lt. W. Shannon Adams and Deputy State Fire Marshal Jamie Rodeheaver determined the fire began in a chimney of the two-story residence, which was not insured. The occupants did not hear smoke alarms, Adams said.
Damages were estimated at $75,000 to the building and $25,000 loss in contents.
The city incident was the sixth fire in Allegany County in the last four days, including Wednesday’s fire that destroyed the residence of Jim and Martha Boyle at 12700 Bowling St. Firefighters were alerted to that incident shortly after 10 a.m.
The occupants of the residence were reportedly being assisted by family members, according to the emergency center.
The fire originated in the attic and was attributed to an unspecified electrical problem, according to the fire marshal’s office.
The loss was estimated at $25,000 to the residence and $5,000 in contents, officials said.
Bowling Green, Cresaptown, LaVale, Bedford Road, Ellerslie, Clarysville, Shaft, Midland and Ridgeley volunteer fire departments responded, along with Cresaptown ambulance. LaVale Rescue Squad was placed on standby.
Also Wednesday, firefighters from numerous volunteer departments controlled a fire in the vacant property of Donald Swope Jr. at 11010 Cedar Knoll Lane off Baltimore Pike.
The cause of the 12:05 p.m. fire was electrical and began in a service line in the basement of the two-story dwelling, investigators said.
The property loss was estimated at $30,000 to the structure, according to the state fire marshal’s office.
The firefighting operation included Baltimore Pike, Bedford Road, Bowman’s Addition, District 16, Flintstone, LaVale, Clarysville and Ridgeley volunteer fire departments. Potomac Edison personnel were also called to the scene.
All the responding companies were alerted by the Allegany County 911 center, which also handled numerous ambulance and other calls while coordinating communications during all three firefighting operations.
Jeffrey Alderton may be contacted at jlalderton@times-news.com.
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Emergency crews work to extinguish a fire at 138 E. Elder St. in Cumberland on Wednesday. Steve Bittner/Times-News
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