Delmar apartment fire deemed accidental

DELMAR, Md. – An apartment fire in Delmar Sunday afternoon has been ruled accidental.

According to officials, the blaze was reported at around 3 p.m., at 8722 Bi State Boulevard, Apt 1. We’re told that a passerby was driving by when he saw a fire on the side porch of the residence. He stopped and tried to alert tenants in the second floor apartment unsuccessfully, before forcing entry into the residence, only to discover that no one was home. The passerby then alerted the tenants in the first floor apartment, helping them evacuate, before extinguishing the fire by using water from the first floor apartment.

Fire officials say the fire was a result of cigarettes being improperly discarded on the side porch. Total damage as been estimated at $5,200.