Fire destroys vacant farmhouse in Chesapeake City

CHESAPEAKE CITY — An investigation is continuing after a blaze destroyed a vacant farmhouse in Chesapeake City late Wednesday night — about two months after a fire gutted a barn on that same property, according to the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal.

A passerby called 911 at 11:11 p.m. Wednesday after discovering the burning building in the 400 block of Lock Street, prompting area volunteer fire companies to respond, fire officials said. Chesapeake City Volunteer Fire Company served as the on-scene command unit, fire officials added.

Approximately 40 volunteer firefighters battled the blaze for about 90 minutes before bringing it under control, fire officials reported.

The blaze caused an estimated $25,000 in structural damage to the empty, three-story farmhouse, according to an MOSFM spokesperson, who further reported that no one was injured. The spokesperson identified the property owner as GBasil LLC.

“The home is complete loss,” the spokesperson said, before noting, “This is the second fire that occurred on this property. The first fire occurred on April 28 and involved a barn.”

As for the previous blaze on that Lock Street property, a passerby called 911 at 8:14 p.m. April 28 after noticing the burning outbuilding, fire officials said. It took about 90 minutes for volunteer firefighters, approximately 45 of them, to control the blaze, which caused an estimated $10,000 in damage, fire officials added.

MOSFM detectives conducted an on-scene investigation directly after the farmhouse blaze had been extinguished and returned on Thursday morning to continue looking for clues, according to the spokesperson. As of late Thursday morning, however, investigators still were trying to determine where the vacant farmhouse fire started and what caused it, the spokesperson reported.

Fire officials are asking anyone with information that might help in the investigation to call the Northeast Regional Office 410-386-3050.