Two-Alarm Fire Destroys Local Church; Investigation Into Cause Continues
CARROLL COUNTY, MD (August 1, 2024) - Investigators from the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are investigating a fire at the Clearfield Bible Church, located at 1303 Old Westminster Pike in Westminster.
The two-alarm fire was discovered just after 3:00 p.m. An employee was inside when the fire broke out, and she was able to escape safely. Reese Volunteer Fire Company, career staff from Carroll County Department of Fire and EMS, and multiple other fire departments, including Baltimore, Howard, and York counties, responded.
The fire spread rapidly throughout the church, causing the roof and several walls to collapse. It took nearly 75 firefighters two hours to bring the fire under control. One firefighter was transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
Excavators are assisting investigators by removing heavy debris.
ATF is our federal partner in fire investigation, and it is standard operating procedure whenever a fire occurs at a place of worship.
The Maryland State Police CRASH Team is assisting by providing Unmanned Aerial Surveillance(UAS) overhead video and photos.
The origin and cause are under investigation, and investigators will remain on the scene throughout the evening.
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 Photo Credit - Reese Volunteer Fire Company
 
The
Office of the State Fire Marshal is an agency of the Department of
State Police dedicated to helping protect citizens from fire and
explosion through a comprehensive program of education,
inspection, investigation and fire protection engineering. For more
information on fire safety call 1-800-525-3124, log onto our website at: Maryland State Fire Marshal and/or our Facebook Page.
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