QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY, Md. -
It took firefighters from seven counties, in two state to contain a massive brush fire in Queen Anne's County.
But not before more than 50 people were evacuated and sent to shelters to wonder if they would have homes to return to.
The first calls came in at about six this morning with frantic residents reporting smoke in the area. It quickly went to seven alarms.
Fire crews found it, in one of the worst possible places, a densely planted tree farm.
All day long, as fast as they could fill their buckets, helicopters dropped water on the raging 30 acre brush fire.
Resident Paul Young was in a fight of his own, to save the house he just rebuilt after it was destroyed in Hurricane Irene last year.
"Smoking embers were landing on the roof," Young says. "I got my family up and out and put the sprinkler on the house."
Finally, after a 12 hour assault, some good news.
"We now know we're 100 percent contained, which means it's surrounded," Queen Anne's Emergency Services Chief Kevin Aftung says.
And the investigation to determine the cause is underway.
"We had heard there were fireworks last night. We haven't made a direct correlation yet, but it's a possibility as dry as it is." Aftung says.
"Residents need to know that all fireworks are illegal in Maryland, except hand helds," Aftung says. "As dry as it is over here, people need to be careful with any kind of fire around their property."
At the end of the day, Long's new house was untouched by the flames.
"We're just so thankful for all the firefighters who came from all over to do the hard work," Long says.
One firefighter was slightly injured. No residents were hurt, and no homes were lost.
