Overview
- In Bethesda late Christmas Day, a dry live tree and aging lights near a power strip ignited in a Fleming Avenue home, with residents reporting a loud pop before flames raced through the room, according to fire officials.
- Four household members were hospitalized, one in critical condition Friday morning, and a Great Dane was resuscitated by firefighters, with damage estimated at about $400,000.
- While some outlets reported five injuries, officials said four residents were hospitalized and a neighboring resident was treated at the scene for minor injuries.
- In Bel Air on Christmas Eve, investigators determined an electrical failure at the base of an artificial Christmas tree triggered a fire that destroyed the Flintlock Drive home, with losses around $500,000.
- The Bel Air family of six is displaced and receiving Red Cross and county assistance, and pets were heavily affected with one dog rescued, one dead, and two still missing, as crews in Bethesda conduct door-to-door smoke-alarm checks.