On Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at 3:15 pm, the Chestertown Volunteer Fire Company was dispatched as mutual aid to the Church Hill Volunteer Fire Company. The call nature was a vehicle fire at the Bennett & Cohey Junk Yard in the 5600 block Church Hill Road (Maryland 213). That is located between Chestertown and Church Hill.

First arriving units were confronted with a junked pick up truck on fire. The fire had also spread to a pile of discarded tires and used petroleum products, which had been stockpiled prior to disposal. There were reports of explosions in the fire. It's believed there was magnesium involved. Magnesium is a flammable metal that burns extremely hot when on fire. When water hits burning magnesium, it causes a small explosion which is hazardous to firefighters.