Baltimore County fire officials investigating two alarm fire in Kingsville

KINGSVILLE, Md. - The roof is blown off the home. Hot spots were being put out a few hours after it all began.

This tragedy is how Jonathan Hebb, his fiance’, and their two daughters met some of their neighbors. They're renting the home in Kingsville, valued at over a half million dollars, and they just settled in with new furniture that’s now in ruins.

"There's a grill out there, but we never used the grill. We've only been in this house for not only a month," said Jonathan Hebb, who was displaced by the fire.

Hebb says the smell of smoke woke them up from a nap around 3 p.m. Sunday.  They noticed black smoke on the back deck, so the family started running.

That's when they met their neighbor John Burke for the first time.

"I didn't have to go in the house. He was coming out the door as I got back to the house. And he came out and they pulled the two cars out of the garage, backed away and watched it burn," said Burke.

And they watched firefighters from several departments in Baltimore County truck water in from a neighborhood pond since there are no fire hydrants in the area.  A spokesman says crews are experienced, so it didn't slow down their attack.

"So what we have is what we call water shuttles and tankers and they'll set up an engine at the site, draft the water to the site and they can shuttle it," said Baltimore Co. Fire Director, Glenn Blackwell.

Two daughters were supposed to start 7th and 11th grades on Monday. But lives were changed in a flash. There's damage throughout the home and a replacement may simply never be the same for some things left behind.

"Her wedding dress was there. I didn't know, she told me. And her engagement ring. So it's very devastating," said Hebb. "We're not in there burned up, so that's the bright side."

One firefighter was treated on the scene for minor injuries. The couple does have renter's insurance. Investigators are still trying to determine what started the fire.