WALDORF, Md. — The Maryland Fire Marshal released a bit more information on its investigation into a deadly house fire that claimed the lives of six people.
Among the victims are the wife and three children of the surviving homeowner.
The other two victims are believed to be the wife and child of a second resident who escaped.
No names or official causes of death have been revealed thus far. Our own Jeff Hager spoke to neighbors who suggested the eldest child was about nine years old.
"The Office of the State Fire Marshal knows that Charles County Public Schools has issued a statement stating that some of the children involved may have attended their schools," the Fire Marshal said in a Wednesday press release. "Once the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner completes its examinations, the names, ages, and official causes of death for the victims will be released."
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According to the Fire Marshal, there's still no evidence pointing to arson being involved, although the cause remains undetermined.
From the beginning, investigators focused on the home's smoke alarm system.
While alarms on the first and second floors were destroyed in the fire, crews located one disconnected in the basement without a battery.
"Some residents disconnect or remove alarms after repeated nuisance activations from cooking, steam, or other household activities," the Fire Marshal said in a Wednesday press release. "However, doing so removes a critical early-warning system that can mean the difference between life and death in a fire."
