Nearly three months after a Rosedale home exploded in the middle of the night, Baltimore County fire investigators charged the homeowner with arson.

Mark Hawkins, 66, was charged with first-degree arson and malicious burning for an explosion in the early hours of July 1 that leveled his home at 8120 Callo Lane.

Set in a densely packed East Baltimore suburb right off Interstate 95, the two-story home burst into flames at around 2 a.m. on July 1.

Neighbors on Callo Lane recalled hearing a loud bang, with one neighbor comparing the sound to a bomb, before the house erupted in orange flames.

Rija Ikharia, a next-door neighbor, told The Banner, “It was scary. I couldn’t imagine anything like this ever happening.”

Photos Ikharia shared with The Banner show the home entirely engulfed in flames moments after the blaze began.

Mark and Denise Hawkins purchased their home at 8120 Callo Lane for $335,000 in 2022, according to online property records.

In the weeks following the explosion, as the Baltimore County Fire Department’s investigation into the cause of the fire remained unsolved, neighbors feared their properties could suffer a similar fate.

Soon after the explosion, neighbors’ properties were inspected by Baltimore Gas and Electric Company for any potential leakages that could cause a fire. BGE inspectors did not find anything alarming.

Baltimore County has seen fewer than five house explosions in the past decade. The main causes of house explosions are gas leaks — resulting from faulty lines, improper installations or malfunctions — and arson.