State Fire Marshal Asking For Public's Help In Identifying Persons Of Interest In Cumberland Vehicle Blaze
CUMBERLAND, Md. (WJZ) -- Deputy State Fire Marshals are asking for the public's assistance in identifying persons of interest with the intentional burning of a 2007 Jeep in Cumberland.
Deputy State Fire Marshals are currently investigating two incidents in Allegany County.
At around 10:45 a.m. on Thursday, 30 firefighters from the Bedford Road Volunteer Fire Department responded to the 13500 block of Sentinel Lane in Cumberland for a structure fire that a neighbor reported.
When firefighters arrived, they found a single-family rancher style home on fire.
It took the firefighters 10 minutes to control the blaze which originated in a bedroom of the structure. The Office of the State Fire Marshal was requested to conduct an origin and cause investigation of the fire.
Deputy State Fire Marshals were able to narrow down a bedroom within the structure as to where the fire originated but were not able to determine an exact cause.
A short time after this fire was dispatched, a second fire was discovered by a passer-by in Cumberland.
Five firefighters from the Cumberland Fire Department were dispatched to a parking lot on Park Street for a vehicle fire.
When crews arrived, they found a 2007 Jeep Patriot on fire. The Office of the State Fire Marshal was again requested to conduct an origin and cause investigation of this incident.
The cause of the fire was determined to be incendiary (arson) after investigators were able to determine an accelerant was used and vapors ignited with an open flame device.
Investigators were able to gather video footage of three unknown individuals that were seen in the area of the vehicle prior to the fire.
If anyone can identify one or all of these individuals or saw them in the area before or after the fire, they are urged to contact Deputy State Fire Marshals at 301-729-5542.
