S. Nicholas Daugherty wipes soot from a bottle of embalming fluid and says the arson fire that burned his Pasadena office could have been worse.
Cases of formaldehyde, bleaching agents and chemical preservatives could have exploded along Mountain Road.
He fears that was the plan of whomever set fire to the embalming room of his funeral home.
"Whoever did this is not right," he said. "I don't hate them - I don't want to carry that burden. But I'm not quite willing to forgive."
Investigators continue to search for those responsible for the fire at Daugherty Family Funeral Home and Cremation Center. The fire burnt an office in which bodies were prepared for burial, although no remains were damaged. Flames charred the walls and ceiling, burning cremation urns and flags planned for veterans' graves.
The Jan. 21 fire caused about $125,000 in damage; Daugherty doesn't have insurance.
"It's my worst nightmare," he said. "It's taken everything I have to purchase this place and keep it running."
That morning, Anne Arundel County firefighters called his phone, alerting him to the blaze next door. He stepped outside to see fire engines along the 2600 block of Mountain Road.
"I'm happy there were no bodies inside and that some family wouldn't have to suffer more," Daugherty said.
The fire started between 4 and 5 a.m. and was reported after a traveler saw smoke, according to the county Fire Department.
Officials have declined to offer additional details because the investigation is ongoing.
But a department dog, Kinder, was used to sniff out flammables, said Division Chief Keith Swindle.
"An (arson) fire in this area is not common," Swindle said. "This is an extraordinary event."
Last year, there were 57 arsons in Anne Arundel County, according to Swindle. But these incidents include fires set to boats, homes, cars and woodlands.
Daugherty hopes to repair the historic building. He said it was built in the 1700s and used as a post office during the Civil War. He said the sturdy foundation survived much of the fire.
He opened the funeral home in 2002 and will continue operations.
Funeral and visitation services are held in a house next door that was not damaged. Daugherty will prepare bodies in Glen Burnie.
Still, he said he can't afford to hire contractors.
"I would be willing to break my back to do it," he said. "But I don't know if I can do it alone."
Officials are asking anyone with information about the Jan. 21 arson fire at Daugherty Family Funeral Home in Pasadena to contact investigators at 410-222-TIPS (8477) or [email protected] Tips can be given anonymously.
Copyright 2013 Capital Gazette Communications, Inc.All Rights Reserved
