Blaze destroys home

son charged with arson

March 01, 2005|by PEPPER BALLARD

A blaze that destroyed a Trotter Drive home early Monday was intentionally set and the homeowner's son who lived there was charged with setting the fire, the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office said in a written release.

Cameron Brown Jr., 29, was charged with first-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning, two counts of reckless endangerment and malicious destruction of property in connection with the 4:29 a.m. fire at 10533 Trotter Drive, according to the release.

He was being held at the Washington County Detention Center on $50,000 bond Monday afternoon, the release says.

Conviction on the charges carries a punishment of up to 48 years in prison and/or $65,000 in fines, according to the release.

Multiple fires were found set in the first-floor kitchen and living room of the house owned by Cameron Brown Sr., the Fire Marshal's Office said.

The motive for the fire was under investigation, Deputy State Fire Marshal Jason Mowbray said.

Mowbray said Brown had moved in with his parents about three weeks ago. He said Cameron Brown Sr., his wife and Cameron Brown Jr. got out of the burning house safely.

The loss to the two-story house was estimated at $375,000, according to the Fire Marshal's Office. The value of the contents lost in the blaze was estimated at $250,000, according to the release.

Mount Aetna Volunteer Fire Department Chief Terry Stouffer said 50 to 60 firefighters fought the two-alarm blaze in Beaver Creek Estates.

He said that when fire crews arrived, "flames were through the roof."

The roof is gone and "the whole inside's burnt out," he said.

It took firefighters between 60 and 90 minutes to control the blaze.

Firefighters from Mount Aetna, Smithsburg, Funkstown, Boonsboro, Leitersburg, Longmeadow, Maugansville, Fairplay and Halfway battled the fire, Stouffer said.

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