Controlled Burn

Yesterday, when I was buying peaches at the Baugher farm stand in Ellicott City, I asked Joan Baugher about the fire back in March that consumed the old farm house that stood behind the stand.

“It was a controlled burn,” she told me. “The fire department used it for training.”

Apparently the renovation of the 1890’s house was impractical. “It had a dirt floor basement that was full of snakes,” she added. They wanted to build a new home on the site so they let the fire department do their thing.

After it was over they gave her a pack of pictures which she shared with me.

This one was her favorite.

The family is now well into the construction of their new home which should be completed this Fall. It will feature a nice wide porch to take in the view and the breeze from what they claim is the highest point in HoCo.