Fire burns Cecil County home built in 1792, causing estimated $2.5M in damage

A fire Monday afternoon caused an estimated $2.5 million in damage to a Cecil County home built in 1792 and other nearby houses.

The fire started around 2:40 p.m. and was fueled by strong winds as it burned a roughly 4,000-square-foot historic dwelling overlooking the North East River in Charlestown. The owners were not home and no injuries were reported, the state fire marshal said in a news release Monday night.

The damage to the renovated structure, in the 100 block of Conestoga Street, is estimated at $1.5 million while the damaged contents of the home are estimated to cost $500,000 according to the fire marshal. There was an additional $500,000 in damage to surrounding structures and other nearby houses, the release said.

Seventy firefighters from the Charlestown Volunteer Fire Company responded to the two-alarm fire and brought the blaze, which was discovered by a neighbor, under control in an hour.

The fire marshal said the cause of the fire is still under investigation, adding that the focus is on “various accidental causes.” The fire started on the right side of the home in the area of heating, ventilating and air-conditioning units, the release said.