A grand residence in Maryland was reduced to ashes overnight, with investigators suspecting a chicken coop heat lamp as the catalyst for the devastating blaze beneath the deck.

In the early hours of Sunday, over 50 firefighters raced to a mansion valued at nearly $1 million located on Phillips Oak Drive, Montgomery County. As reported in a news release, the fire swiftly engulfed the property.

Firefighters managed to contain the inferno eventually, but not before it led to a partial structural collapse and inflicted around $1 million in damages.

The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service disclosed that the fire originated beneath a rear deck, specifically in a chicken coop located just outside the home.

Officials suspect that the blaze was ignited by a heat lamp, a device commonly employed during colder months to simulate longer daylight periods and maintain warmth for chickens, ensuring they continue to lay eggs.

The department confirmed in the press release that there were no injuries and that the fire remains under investigation. 

Around 12:40am, fire crews were dispatched to the 5,100-square-foot home off Spencerville Road after an automatic fire alarm signaled an emergency. 

The home’s sole resident also heard a noise outside, spotted flames on the deck and escaped safely, later calling 911 from a neighbor’s house, fire officials said. 

A massive Maryland home was left destroyed overnight Sunday when a chicken coop heat lamp reportedly ignited a vicious blaze beneath the deck

More than 50 firefighters rushed early in the morning to a nearly $1 million mansion on the 15800 block of Phillips Oak Drive in Montgomery County as a fire rapidly tore through the home

The fire was eventually contained, but officials said it triggered a partial collapse and caused an estimated $1 million in damage

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service later revealed that the fire broke out beneath a rear deck, in a chicken coop just outside the home

Firefighters on the scene were met with ‘heavy fire conditions’ as the flames raced through the home, quickly swallowing the entire structure by 1:06am.

Haunting images captured towering orange flames bursting from the roof and windows, while thick smoke poured into the night sky.  

The home partially collapsed and forced firefighters to switch to defensive operations, including deploying an aerial tower ladder pipe as dozens battled the blaze. 

Fire crews – including multiple engines, trucks, medic units and command staff – worked through the night to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to nearby homes. 

The flames were eventually contained, though emergency crews stayed on site in case of any further hazards. 

Devastating photos of the aftermath showed firefighters outside the home using a hose to douse the remaining structure. 

The five-bedroom home, estimated at $993,521 according to Redfin, was once a luxurious brown-bricked residence with pale yellow siding in the back and a brown deck overlooking the expansive backyard. 

But photos taken after the catastrophic fire showed the home in ruins. The windows were blackened with soot and the back of the residence flattened to blackened rubble.

The department confirmed in a press release that there were no injuries and that the fire remains under investigation

Around 12:40am, fire crews were dispatched to the 5,100-square-foot home off Spencerville Road after an automatic fire alarm signaled an emergency

Photos taken after the catastrophic fire showed the home in ruins, with windows blackened with soot and the back of the residence flattened 

The five-bedroom home, estimated at $993,521 according to Redfin, was once a luxurious brown-bricked residence with pale yellow siding in the back and a brown deck overlooking the expansive backyard

Officials used the incident to warn the public about smoke alarms, saying the first call came through an automatic alert, according to the department’s news release.

‘Working smoke alarms save lives!’ the department wrote. ‘Test your alarms monthly and have an escape plan in place.’

The fire comes just weeks after a 21-year-old sorority student – the daughter of a General Electric executive – died on Christmas Eve when ‘heat spots’ ignited a blaze that destroyed her family’s mansion. 

Kayla Corrigan was killed when her $4 million home in Needham, a Boston suburb, erupted in flames. Two other adults inside at the time escaped unharmed.