Cause of Fort Howard House Fire Under Investigation

The cause of a Wednesday night house fire in the 9200 block of North Point Road in Fort Howard is under investigation, according to Baltimore County public safety officials.

Firefighters responded to the call of a according to Baltimore County fire dispatch personnel. The fire was knocked down shortly after 7 p.m., the dispatcher said.

The road was closed for several hours after the fire was extinguished, and a helicopter searched the area while police went door-to-door in the surrounding neighborhood inquiring about the tenant of the home.

"The extra police activity was a search for the resident of the home," Cpl. Cathy Batton said in an email to Dundalk Patch. "Officers were attempting to locate him to ensure that he was unharmed."

Batton said that, while a pot was left on the home's stove, the cause of the fire remains under investigation.