6 People Dead, Including 4 Children, After ‘Devastating’ Fire Engulfed Maryland Home

Six people have been killed, including four children, after a massive fire engulfed a home in Maryland.

On Sunday, Aug. 10, firefighters with the Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department were called to a home in Waldorf — located about 23 miles southeast of Washington, D.C. — for a report of a large house fire with people still trapped inside, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal.

The fire department quickly upgraded the incident to a two-alarm fire, and neighboring departments, as well as the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Deputy State Fire Marshals, were called to the scene.

Master Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire confirmed to NBC 4 Washington that it took about one hour to get the fire under control.

Around 5:50 p.m. local time, the Maryland State Fire Marshal shared on Facebook that six people died in the blaze.

Nine total people lived in the home, located on the 3000 block of Declaration Court North, Alkire told NBC 4. Three people were initially pronounced dead, and officials had been searching the scene for the three others who were missing.

Of the three surviving residents, one adult escaped, and two others weren’t home when the fire began, according to the State Fire Marshal.

One firefighter was taken to a local hospital for an injury, NBC 4 reported, and WTOP reported that more than 70 fire personnel were at the scene.

Investigators currently believe that the fire may have started on the right side of the house on an enclosed porch, according to WTOP.

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“In Charles County, we do have fires every now and then, but with the loss of life that this is … this is pretty devastating,” said Bill Smith, Charles County Volunteer Fire and EMS public information officer, per ABC News.

The local medical examiner’s office will confirm the victims’ identities at a later date, and the Office of the Fire Marshal said it would provide updates on the victims’ names and ages within the next several days.

“Investigators will remain on the scene and focus on the cause of the fire,” the Office of the Fire Marshal stated on Facebook. “No evidence of a criminal act has been recovered, and we continue to examine all accidental causes. This will remain an active scene until the late evening hours.”

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of six lives, including four children, in Waldorf today,” acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray added in the statement. “Our hearts go out to the families impacted by this heartbreaking event. In this difficult time, let’s come together to support one another and reaffirm our commitment to fire safety.”