Early this morning firefighters were alerted for a barn fire in the 5-13 box. At 04:19, a passerby reported to Howard County Communications that there was a large fire in a field at 4240 Folly Quarter Road, the University of Maryland's Central Maryland Research and Education Center. Upon arrival Engine 52 found an 80' x 40' pole barn used for storing hay and straw collapsed and fully engulfed in fire.
A 60,000 gallon cistern on the property and the dry hydrant on Carroll Mill Road were used for water supply, and the fire was declared out at 07:26. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal, who estimated $150,000 in property damage. No injuries were reported.
The Central Maryland Research and Education Center is the largest research facility owned and operated by the University of Maryland's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. In addition to housing the University's dairy cattle and equine research herds, the facility is used for experiments in pest and nutrient management, composting, cattle nutrition and physiology, turfgrass, and wetlands, among others.
Thanks again to Doug Walton, HCDFRS Office of Community Outreach and Media Affairs, for the pictures.