Officials: Vape pipe sparked fire; dog possibly involved

DAMASCUS, Md. – Authorities says a vape pipe blamed for a house fire north of the nation’s capital may have sparked a flame because a dog got hold of it.

WTTG-TV (http://bit.ly/2sWhkcM ) quotes Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Pete Piringer as saying the dog may have been playing with the device, causing its battery to ignite.

The TV station reports the owner of the town house in Damascus, Maryland, was away on a motorcycle ride. He said he found his house filled with smoke and his carpet and couch on fire when he returned. Firefighters rescued three dogs, one of whom had to be given oxygen for smoke inhalation.

Montgomery County firefighters say the battery is being examined at a lab to determine exactly how it caught fire.

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Information from: WTTG-TV, http://www.myfoxdc.com