February 9th, 2023 by WCBC Radio

The Maryland State Fire Marshall’s Office announced that fire of an undetermined nature destroyed an apartment residence at 106B Stone Hill Road before dawn Wednesday and claimed the lives of two dogs. No one was home at the time of the 2:34 a.m. blaze that was discovered by a neighbor, prompting the response of the Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department to the scene. The fire consumed the two-story, single-family property owned and occupied by Phillip Bender and Enos Yoder. The property loss of the structure that was converted from a garage to an apartment was estimated at $25,000. No information was disclosed concerning the cause and origin of the fire that was controlled in 20 minutes by more than two dozen volunteer firefighters. The fire remains under investigation. Anyone with information in the incident is asked to call the fire marshal's office at 301-766-3888.