Hampstead house fire causes $50,000 damage

A Hampstead townhouse caught fire yesterday morning, leaving two families homeless and three others without electricity, the state fire marshal said.

No one was hurt in the fire in the 4300 block of White Oak Court, which began in a home owned by Tim and Jennifer Thatcher about 1:30 a.m. and lasted about 30 minutes, the fire marshal said.

The fire caused about $50,000 in damage, the fire marshal said.

The fire was ruled accidental and probably started in a lint-filled dryer in a shed next to the Thatcher's home, but investigators have not determined an official cause, the fire marshal said.