Wood Stove Mishap Leads to Structure Fire in Flintstone, Maryland

A recent structure fire in Flintstone, Maryland, has been preliminarily attributed to an accidental cause involving a homemade wood stove. The incident, which occurred on November 24, 2025, at 11714 Green Ridge Road, resulted in the destruction of a repurposed trailer serving as a workshop and an attached chicken coop. The fire was discovered by a passerby early in the morning, who alerted the resident, Edward Whorton.

Responding units from the Flintstone Volunteer Fire Company arrived on the scene to find the small building and its attached coop fully consumed by flames. The fire had already been extinguished upon their arrival, with the building being reported as “out upon arrival.” The fire originated from a wood stove that the resident had reportedly lit the previous evening while working in his shop. The estimated financial loss due to the fire is approximately $15,000 for the structure and $5,000 for its contents. Fortunately, there were no injuries or deaths reported in connection with the incident, and the owner was able to safely evacuate several cats and chickens from the burning structure, with no loss of animal life. No occupants were displaced from the property.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the Maryland State Fire Marshal.

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