A fire in Charles County, Maryland, has claimed the lives of four children and two adults, marking the deadliest house fire in the state in over ten years. The blaze tore through a home in Waldorf, approximately 55 miles south of Baltimore, on Sunday morning.
Master Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire said officials had no reports of a smoke alarm being heard. 'The house was built in a year when they should've had hard-wired smoke alarms. I can't confirm if they were actually activated,' he told reporters.
One person managed to escape the fire, which was reported at around 8.40am. It took approximately 70 firefighters more than an hour to bring the flames under control. One firefighter was hospitalised, and another first responder was treated at the scene for unspecified injuries.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Alkire confirmed that the blaze originated on the right side of the home within an enclosed porch. The ages and names of the victims have not yet been released.
Alkire urged the public to ensure their homes have working smoke alarms. 'We have no reports of someone hearing a smoke alarm activating, so it just shows you the importance of how important those life-saving devices are,' he said.
