Joppa House Fire Sparked By Glass Vase Refracting Sunlight: Official

JOPPA, MD — A discarded glass vase refracting sunlight onto the side of a two-story single-family home started a house fire Tuesday afternoon.

A neighbor spied the fire and threw a glass of pop on it, then filled her fast food cup with water several times to extinguish it, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office. Investigators credited the neighbor's quick thinking and speedy reaction to limiting the fire's damage.

Firefighters with the Fallston Volunteer Fire Company responded to the fire at 1104 Old Mountain Road North in Joppa. Damage has been estimated at $500.