Investigators say a 59-year-old estranged husband admitted to setting the blaze that leveled a home on Sherry Drive.
SYKESVILLE, MD — The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office is investigating why a house on Sherry Drive burned Tuesday morning, Nov. 25, after authorities say the estranged husband of the homeowner started the fire and remained at the scene with minor injuries.
Officials said the case matters now because the fire destroyed the single-family home and could have injured people in a residential neighborhood. The Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal has charged Michael Weisgerber, 59, in connection with the blaze while sheriff’s detectives examine motive and additional circumstances. Deputies and multiple fire companies responded around 8 a.m., drawing a large emergency presence and closing nearby streets. No other residents were hurt, according to investigators. Weisgerber was treated at a hospital for minor burns, then booked into the Carroll County Detention Center pending a court appearance.
First responders were called just after sunrise Tuesday for a house engulfed in flames along the 100 block of Sherry Drive. Deputies arrived to find heavy fire showing. Investigators said Weisgerber forced his way into the house before the fire and locked his estranged wife outside. A short time later, surveillance video reviewed by investigators showed a person dousing an upstairs bedroom with gasoline and setting it alight. The ignition triggered a flash and an explosion strong enough to blow a back door off its hinges, according to investigative summaries shared with local media. “He said numerous times he did not want to injure his wife,” Master Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire said, adding that the man remained cooperative after the fire.
Authorities identified the man as Michael Weisgerber, 59, who had been living in a recreational vehicle parked in the home’s driveway while his wife stayed inside the residence. Investigators reported that gasoline was used to start the fire and that the home was quickly consumed before crews could bring it under control. Deputies described Weisgerber as cooperative from the start and said he admitted to setting the fire. No one else was inside at the time, officials said. The sheriff’s office said the wife was uninjured. Damage estimates were not immediately available, but photos from the scene show the structure heavily damaged with portions collapsed, siding melted and windows blown out.
Public records and prior statements from state fire officials indicate the investigation is focused on arson related to a domestic dispute. Officials have not released a detailed charging document, but local stations report multiple arson counts and related offenses tied to the Nov. 25 incident. The timeline under review includes forced entry before 8 a.m., an accelerant-fueled ignition upstairs and a rapid fire spread through the home. Investigators collected surveillance video and physical evidence from the interior. Detectives have not announced any history of calls to the address or prior protective orders. They said it remains unknown what prompted the fire at that moment beyond the ongoing separation.
The case unfolds in a year when Maryland fire investigators have stressed the danger of residential fires linked to domestic incidents. Earlier statewide briefings drew attention to fast-growing fires started with accelerants and the risks to occupants and neighbors. In Sykesville, Sherry Drive sits in a cluster of single-family homes on quiet cul-de-sacs near Liberty Road, where hydrants and narrow streets can complicate apparatus placement during a morning response. On Tuesday, crews from several companies converged quickly, but the structure’s age and interior layout were not immediately detailed by officials. Neighbors said they had not noticed issues at the property before this week and were stunned by how fast the fire overtook the home.
Deputies said Weisgerber was taken first to a hospital for evaluation of singe burns and smoke exposure, then transferred to the Carroll County Detention Center. The Fire Marshal’s Office said additional lab work and scene analysis are underway, including testing debris samples for accelerants and confirming the fire’s point of origin in an upstairs bedroom. Detectives also plan follow-up interviews and a deeper review of home surveillance clips. Any initial appearance in district court would occur in Westminster, with a charging document expected to outline counts such as arson and malicious burning. Officials said they will announce any bond decisions after a hearing.
Neighbors gathered behind police tape as thick smoke drifted along Sherry Drive. John Enright, who lives nearby, said he looked out after hearing sirens and saw the house burning with flames above the roofline. “You don’t know what’s going on inside anybody’s home, but you never think of a fire,” Enright said. By midmorning, investigators walked the perimeter, photographing debris and collecting fragments of melted fixtures. Charred framing and blown-out windows were visible from the street, and a damaged back door lay off its hinges behind the house. A tow truck later removed an RV from the driveway as crews finished overhaul.
As of Thursday, authorities said motive remains under investigation. An initial court appearance could be scheduled within days. The Fire Marshal’s Office is expected to release additional findings after lab tests and interviews are complete. The sheriff’s office said it would update the case once the charging document is filed and a hearing date is set.
Author note: Last updated November 27, 2025.