Passerby alerts residents about fire outside Perryville home

PERRYVILLE — Investigators are crediting a woman for noticing a fire on the rear deck of a home near Perryville early Monday morning and alerting the unsuspecting residents inside the dwelling — allowing them to escape and extinguish the blaze before it spread, according to the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The passerby called 911 at 6:21 a.m. Monday after discovering the fire at the residence in the 300 block of Beacon Point Drive, prompting area volunteer fire companies to respond, fire officials reported.

“A passerby was on her way to work when she observed a column of smoke from a nearby street. When she arrived, she discovered a fire on the rear deck and notified the unaware homeowners. The male owner used a garden hose to extinguish the bulk of the fire prior to the fire department’s arrival,” an MOSFM spokesperson outlined, before commenting, “Investigators credit the passerby’s actions for noticing the smoke, allowing enough time for the owners to escape and extinguish the fire before it spread into the attic and roof of the home.”

The spokesman further reported that the homeowner had extinguished the fire before approximately 10 firefighters with the Community Fire Company of Perryville and the Perry Point VA Fire Department arrived at the Beacon Point residence.

Although snuffed out quickly, the blaze still caused an estimated $50,000 in structural damage to the house, but it did not damage any contents, according to the spokesman.

During their on-scene investigation, MOSFM detectives determined that the blaze started on the rear deck, fire officials said. As of Tuesday, however, the cause of the fire remained under investigation, fire officials added.