PHOTO: The Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal ruled carelessly discarded smoking materials in an exterior mulch bed caused Sunday's three-alarm fire that destroyed the Cambridge House building on the property of the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort in Cambridge.
Fire officials said the accidental fire caused $200,000 in damage to the one-story, wood-framed building and $20,000 of damage to contents.
The Cambridge House is used for conferences, and is located next to the hotel.
More than 100 firefighters from three different counties responded to the blazed, with Cambridge Rescue Fire Company being the first to be dispatched at 6:15 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 6. Fire officials said the building was fully involved, and additional fire crews were requested. Fire crews from the Neck District, Trappe, Secretary, East New Market, Hurlock, Church Creek, Vienna, Oxford, Easton, Hebron and Cordova also responded to put out the blaze.