Baltimore City firefighters responded to a fatal fire on the 5200 block of Hillwell Road off Frederick Road just after 3 a.m Thursday.
Fire officials reported heavy fire and smoke coming from a two-story row house upon arrival. They received reports that someone was trapped inside and began working on the fire.
Deadly fire in #Baltimore closes Hillwell Rd.b/w Boswell Rd. & Fredcrest Rd. @ABC2 is on the scene. Tune into #GMM2 for latest developments.
— ABC2 Traffic (@MarylandTraffic) December 31, 2015
After a search of the home, firefighters discovered a female victim inside. Investigators said the 41 year old woman was not the only person who lived there. A man managed to escape on his own.
"The whole street was filled up with fire trucks and a whole lot of people just coming out to see what they could do, but there wasn't nothing no one could do," Glenton Johnson, a neighbor who witnessed the fire, said.
On scene of fatal fire on Hillwell Road (off Frederick Road). One female and two pets lost their lives. #GMM2 pic.twitter.com/ZJCmDZ1g2m
— Paul Jaffey (@PaulFromABC2) December 31, 2015
Captain Roman Clark with the Baltimore City Fire Department said the home did have working smoke alarms inside. Officials are still investigating the cause of this fire.
A medical examiner will determine the woman's official cause of death. If her death was caused by the fire, it would be the 18th fire death in Baltimore City in 2015.
