The owner of a 2008 Lincoln MKX in Lexington Park put out a fire on the vehicle early Monday. State investigators say someone else started it.
The fire was reported at 5:54 a.m. on Oct. 5, according to a notice of investigation from the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office. The vehicle was on Princeton Drive. The owner discovered the blaze and extinguished it, and no one was injured.
Investigators put the origin at the passenger-side fender well. The preliminary cause is listed as incendiary, meaning the fire was set on purpose. The notice says an unknown suspect ignited combustibles on the outside of the vehicle. Damage is estimated at $1,000. No arrests have been made.
Bay District Volunteer Fire Department responded with four firefighters in one alarm. The department runs stations in Lexington Park and Great Mills.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office investigates fires and explosions across Maryland. Its deputy fire marshals handle scene examinations, evidence collection and suspect interviews, and they enforce state arson and malicious-burning laws. Cases usually start when a fire or police department asks for help.
Anyone with information is asked to call the State Fire Marshal’s Southern Region at 410-414-3612. The agency also lists a statewide arson hotline, 1-800-492-7529, and an anonymous online tip form on its website.
Under Maryland law, willfully and maliciously burning another person’s personal property is a crime. It is a felony when the damage is $1,000 or more and a misdemeanor when it is less. Nobody has been charged in this case.
