28 People Displaced, 3 Pets Killed In Aberdeen Apartment Fire

ABERDEEN, MD — Twenty-eight people have been displaced after an apartment fire caused an estimated $500,000 worth of damage Tuesday night.

The fire broke out around 10:42 p.m. at Magnolia Farms Apartments, a three-story apartment complex located at 48 East Bel Air Avenue.

Twenty adults and eight children have been displaced, and two cats and a pet turtle were killed. Firefighters rescued two people from an upper floor balcony and pulled one person through a window.

According to the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal, the fire broke out in the kitchen of a lower level apartment. It was discovered by a resident.

Fifty firefighters battled the blaze, with crews from the Aberdeen Fire Department attacking the visible fire through a first-floor window. Firefighters contained the fire to the lower level apartment's kitchen and gained control within 10 minutes.

No injuries were reported.

The state fire marshal's office continues to investigate the fire. The estimated $500,000 in damage includes the apartment where the fire erupted, as well as smoke and soot damage throughout the building.

"The state fire marshal was requested to investigate. Our investigators spent several hours on the scene," Master Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire told media. "We have determined that it is possibly some type of electrical event. We can confirm that it was not a cooking fire."