A Frostburg woman dies in house fire.
It happened on Tuesday afternoon, around 3 pm at 220 Center Street. Frostburg firefighters would arrive at the scene in response to a 911 call for a house fire and possible entrapment.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal says flames were coming from the first-floor bedroom window. This home, originally built for a single family, had been converted into two apartments.
It took about 15 minutes to put the fire out.
Firefighters found the body of a 50-year-old woman inside.
Her body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore, where she will be identified.
A preliminary investigation revealed the fire came from the 50-year-old's bedroom. However, the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Even though authorities confirmed that there were smoke alarms in the home, it was determined that the woman had preexisting medical conditions and was unable to walk.
A man who also lived in the house was not at home at the time. He has been displaced.
The apartment above the woman was unoccupied.
“Our hearts break for each of the families affected by this tragic fire,” said Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray.
“It is especially heartbreaking for a loss like this to occur just days before the holidays—a time when families should be gathering in celebration, not facing unimaginable grief. Please check your smoke alarms, have an escape plan, and practice it. And if a fire should break out—get out, stay out.”
A joint investigation between the police agency having jurisdiction and the Office of the State Fire Marshal is standard operating procedure whenever a fatal fire occurs.
