After a catastrophic fire that was first contained Wednesday night, firefighters returned Friday morning to put out hotspots after a fire restarted at Sandy Spring’s historic Harewood Farm. Following the destruction of their home, the Johnson family, who currently own Harewood Farm, issued the following statement:
The loss of our family home has saddened us. Despite being a historic site, it is primarily our home. In addition to the everyday quotidianities and routines, it is a happy spot where we commemorated nearly 50 years of birthdays, Thanksgivings, and family gatherings. It’s impossible to replace some of the things we lost. However, we are incredibly thankful that nobody was harmed. We are grateful to all of the first responders and firefighters who put in countless hours to extinguish the fire. We kindly request that you respect our privacy and keep our family and community in the spotlight during this trying time.-The Johnsons
When about 75 firefighters arrived on the scene of the initial incident, they discovered that the two-story farmhouse was heavily burned. The property was severely damaged and was situated between 4,000 and 5,000 feet from Olney-Sandy Spring Road in an area without fire hydrants.
A thorough search of the building was conducted after initial reports indicated a potential missing tenant; it was later determined that the house was vacant at the time. There were no reported injuries. The cause of the fire is still unknown, however it was found to be accidental.
