At 9:22 p.m. nearly 30 first responders were alerted of a fire at a single story ranch style home on the property of the Calvary United Methodist Church at 3939B Gamber Road in Finksburg. A passerby observed flames on the front porch area of the dwelling and quickly tried to extinguish the fire with a portable extinguisher and subsequently a garden hose connected to the front of the home. The fire continued to grow and a call to the Carroll County Emergency Operations Center brought crews from Gamber, Sykesville, Reese, and Reisterstown Volunteer Fire Departments to the scene. First arriving firefighters brought the flames quickly under control within one minute after arrival. Crews remained on scene to check for possible extension of the fire into the porch ceiling and exterior walls.

Two occupants were inside the home at the time of the fire and escaped uninjured. The Office of the State Fire Marshal conducted an investigation into the incident and confirmed the accidental fire originated on the front porch due to improperly discarded smoking materials.