Essex house explosion ruled arson; homeowner in custody, Baltimore County officials say
Investigators ruled that an April 20 house explosion in Essex was caused by arson, and police took a 52-year-old man who owned the home into custody, Baltimore County authorities said in a news release.
A fire department spokesperson said investigators believe the man who had suffered non-life-threatening burn injuries in connection with the two-alarm fire at 28 Crafton Road was the person who set the fire. Authorities said last month that he was found at a nearby location and was believed to have been injured in the same fire.
Fire crews could not enter the home while responding at about 11 p.m. on April 20, though they later said they could not locate any victims inside the structure. A dog is believed to have been killed in the fire, officials said in the Tuesday release.
The suspect was arrested Monday on a warrant charging him with first-degree arson as well as animal cruelty and other offenses, according to online court records, which did not list a defense attorney in the case. Police said he “created a fuel/gas explosion that led to a fire and destruction of the home he shared with his estranged wife and children.” The home was deeded in his name in 2009, according to state property records, though court records list his address as a home a few blocks away on Wiltshire Road.
A preliminary report on the fire obtained by The Baltimore Sun through a public records request indicates that the blaze began in the basement, listing a structural component made of sawn wood as the first item ignited by “multiple heat sources.” The report estimated the loss to be $300,000 for the property, which was completely destroyed by the fire and explosion, as well as $200,000 in contents.