A faulty electric fan in the attic is blamed for Saturday night's fire that caused thousands of dollars in damage to this home on Downing Road outside of Delmar. (Photo: WBOC)
(Photo: WBOC)DELMAR, Md.- Authorities say a faulty attic fan sparked a weekend fire that caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage to a home outside Delmar.
The Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office said the fire broke out shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday at a one-story single-family home located at 31884 Downing Road.
It took 50 firefighters from the Salisbury, Pittsville, Sharptown and Powellville fire departments approximately 40 minutes to get the blaze under control.
There were no reported injuries. The fire caused an estimated $70,000 in damage to the home and another $30,000 in damage to is contents.
The homeowner, Bruce Patterson, told WBOC that he feels lucky that he was home when the fire started. He said, "The electric started flickering. We went to investigate and realized the attic was on fire. It could have been a lot worse. We could've come home to ashes. But when you're home you can actually, maybe do something about it."
Deputy State Fire Marshals have ruled the fire accidental and blame it on the failure of a fan located inside the attic.
It could be a few months before Patterson and his family move back into their home, Patterson said.
