Sunday house fire in Street causes over $800,000 in damages, displaces family without injuries

Jul. 27--The Salerno family was house shopping for a year before they closed on a two-story home in Street. Moving from a townhouse, the family saw in the property ample room for their two kids -- and third on the way -- when they closed on it in June. A little over a month later, the home is charred by fire damage, and the family forced to stay in a hotel.

Firefighters responded to the home 3600 block of Hollands Branch Court at approximately 1:40 p.m. Sunday, according to a Office of the State Fire Marshal release. It took two hours for the firefighters to control the blaze, which started inside the garage. No one was injured in the blaze. The fire's cause is under investigation.

Shawn Salerno said he and his family had returned from the beach Saturday and found nothing amiss. They were still in the process of moving their belongings from storage into the new house. On Sunday, the family was sitting down for lunch when Salerno heard a noise coming from the garage and saw smoke curl over the top of the door. He opened it and found the room on fire.

"There were just all these flames, so I just told my wife to get the kids and the dog out of the house," he said.

Salerno tried to extinguish the fire with a garden hose, but was unsuccessful. The heat was so intense that it caught his car, parked a short distance from the garage, on fire and melted part of his wife's car.

"It has just been overwhelming and it's hard to process," he said. "We have lost what we have been working so hard for."

Because they had not unpacked their bags from the beach, the family had a couple changes of clothes they took from the home. They were also able to salvage some personal items like Salerno's computer and at least one photo album.

The fire caused an estimated $575,000 of damage to the structure and destroyed approximately $250,000 worth of property inside, according to the release. Spokesperson for the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association Rich Gardiner said much of the home was saved structurally, except the garage and roof. Crews cut off the fire's spread as it worked through the attic, but the rest of the home suffered heat and smoke damage.

Senior deputy state fire marshal Oliver Alkire said the fire radiated through the house from the garage and that "the investigators would consider it a total loss at this time." Alkire explained that garage fires are often fast spreading, potentially feeding off flammable liquids that residents store in their garages.

"Fire doubles in size every 30 seconds," he said. "We see this typically in garage fires; they are fast moving, fast developing fires."

On Facebook, family friend Melissa Barnes posted a call for donations to help the family. Barnes knew the Salernos because their children went to school together. She was also the realtor who sold them the house that burned; they closed on the home just over a month before the dwelling caught fire. Maryland property records reflect that the house changed ownership on June 18.

"It is awful, my heart just breaks for them," Barnes said.

Barnes posted the family's Venmo information and is also soliciting donations for them through PayPal. Online, Barnes' Facebook post has been shared more than 300 times and is inundated with comments ranging from people offering clothes to survivors of house fires who are willing to help guide the family through the process of starting over.

"Everyone seems to be willing to help them," Barnes said. "I'm getting overwhelming responses -- people wanting to donate clothes and asking what they need."

Salerno said he is grateful for the support he and his family are seeing. He is working to get the insurance process started and speaking with appraisers. More important than their belongings is their safety, he said.

Salerno said. "We're just glad to have our family; at the end of the day the stuff and the house means nothing compared to life."

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