A fire attributed to a discarded cigarette caused extensive damage Tuesday evening to a La Plata home. According to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office the fire at the home on Sweetgrass Circle originated in a studio and caused $25,000 to the structure and $20,000 to the contents.
The two-story single-family home is owned by Maria Escobar. The family was displaced and is being assisted by the American Red Cross.
According to Deputy Fire Marshal Don Brenneman, “The home owner woke up after hearing the smoke alarm go off. Upon looking for the source of the smoke, the home owner discovered the smoke was coming from their home studio. The fire department responded and was able to confine the fire to the studio area. The investigation revealed that a discarded cigarette attributed to the ignition of the fire.”
The fire was reported at 10:46 p.m. Forty-seven firefighters from the La Plata, Waldorf and Bel Alton volunteer fire departments responded and took 24 minutes to bring the blaze under control.
