MARYLAND

Berlin fire that displaced family is a historical house

The Daily Times

The fire that displaced a Berlin family is still under investigation, according to the Worcester County Fire Marshal's Office.

Firefighters work at the scene of a blaze at a residence in Berlin on Tuesday, Dec. 12.

The homeowners, Julie and Henry Koenig, were not home at the time of the fire, according to a fire marshal's release

No injuries were reported, however, a cat died in the fire, the release said.

At about 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, the Berlin Fire Department responded to a residential structure fire at 414 South Main St. in Berlin.

According to a Worcester County Fire Marshal release, when the first crew arrived, they noticed fire visible from the south side of the two-story home.

The fire was brought under control, but the building suffered major smoke and fire damage, the release said.

The Berlin Fire Department was assisted by the Showell, Ocean Pines, Ocean City and Powellvillle fire companies.

A GoFundMe page has been started for the family. As of 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, the page had raised $5,770 of the $10,000 goal in one day.

In total, 72 people had donated to the page so far. To donate, visit gofundme.com/helping-the-koenings-rebuild.

According to the Maryland Historical Trust, the home is a historical house known as the Harvey P. Pruitt House.

The house was constructed during the 1910s, and it was deemed historically significant because of its architecture.

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