(Feb. 17, 2022) The Ocean Pines Fire Department responded to a garage fire at 79 Clubhouse Drive that severely damaged one house and affected another early Sunday morning, according to a statement from the fire department.

Photo Courtesy Ocean Pines Fire Department
A fire broke out in Ocean Pines early Sunday morning that caused extensive damage to one residence and minor damage to an adjacent home on Clubhouse Drive. No injuries were reported.

The call came in at 4:24 a.m. and originally indicated that the occupants were trapped, but upon arrival, responders found that everyone inside the house had escaped.

Earlier reports indicated that one person was rendered unconscious from the fire, but Ocean Pines Fire Department Chief Steve Grunewald said that too was part of the erroneous initial correspondence early Sunday morning.

No injuries were sustained and the fire was contained despite extensive damage that spread to other parts of the home and also affected an adjacent residence.

“Thanks to the extensive training and experience of all the volunteer and career firefighters who responded, the bulk of the fire damage was limited to the initial address with only exterior damage to one neighboring home,” the statement said. “With the fire under control, crews remained on scene for an extended period completing overhaul.”

Though the roof of the garage collapsed as a result of the fire, Grunewald said afterward that the fire didn’t present any unusual challenges.

“We didn’t have any trouble,” he said. “The crews got there pretty quickly and confined the fire to the main house. There was a little superficial damage to the siding of the next-door house (but that was the extent of it).”

“It was a basic, clean-cut fire for us. We didn’t have any issue with water supply and that’s what we train for. The guys were ready for it and did a fantastic job and were able to control it with minimal damage to the house to the left of it.”

Fire Departments for Berlin, Bishopville, Ocean City, Showell, Selbyville and Frankford were also alerted to the fire.

Photo Courtesy Ocean Pines Fire Department
The early-morning Ocean Pines fire on Sunday collapsed the roof of the garage that it originated in, but despite the severity of the blaze, firefighters were able to quickly and effectively contain it.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Worcester County Fire Marshal’s Office. No updates were available as of Tuesday afternoon.