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Firefighters responded to the 11400 block of National Pike in Clear Spring around 12:30 p.m. on Friday, March 7, after flames spread from a backhoe to a nearby shed and then into the surrounding woods, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The property owner had started his 1982 Case 580 K Backhoe to let it warm up and left it idling while he went inside his home.
When he returned, the backhoe was on fire, officials said.
As he went back into the house to get a phone and call 911, the flames spread rapidly, igniting a nearby shed and consuming roughly 10.5 acres of woodland before firefighters could contain the blaze.
More than 30 firefighters from the Clear Spring Volunteer Fire Company and other departments battled the flames for nearly two and a half hours before bringing the fire under control, officials said.
Damage from the fire was estimated at $20,000 to the structure and $10,000 in lost contents, according to investigators.
No injuries were reported.
The fire has been ruled accidental, with the cause traced back to the backhoe’s engine compartment.
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