Fire Marshal Probes Fiery Blast That Destroyed Rural Home

HANCOCK, Md. (AP) — The Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office says it's investigating the cause of a fiery explosion that destroyed a home in rural western Maryland.

There are no reports of injuries in the incident Thursday morning on Hollow Road near Hancock, about 80 miles northwest of Baltimore.

Deputy State Fire Marshal Bruce Bouch says firefighters were still battling the blaze at noon, about three hours after the explosion was reported.

The fire marshal's office says in a statement that a female occupant was inside the two-story home but escaped without injury. The agency says an off-duty Maryland State Police trooper who lives nearby assisted her.

Photos by The Herald-Mail newspaper of Hagerstown (http://bit.ly/2bCD0BI ) show the smoking ruins of a building reduced to rubble.

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