2HAGERSTOWN, MD – A late-night blaze tore through a two-family home on East Wilson Boulevard early Friday, displacing five people but sparing their lives thanks to a working smoke alarm.

Flames erupted just after midnight inside the ceiling space above a kitchen, officials said.

It took firefighters about an hour to bring the two-alarm fire under control.

Key Points

Fire started in the kitchen ceiling from an electrical malfunction in a recessed light

Five residents and a dog escaped unharmed after smoke alarms sounded

Damage estimated at $250,000 across structure and contents

Fire started in ceiling of duplex kitchen

Investigators from the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office said the fire began when a can light in the kitchen ceiling malfunctioned, sparking flames that spread th

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