82-Yr-Old Woman Dies in Bel Air House Fire

From the Maryland State Fire Marshal‘s Office:

A joint investigation continues between the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Bel Air Police Department into the circumstances surrounding a house fire that claimed the life of a local woman last night.

Just after 7:10 p.m., firefighters from the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company and surrounding departments responded to the 700 block of Linwood Avenue. They discovered heavy smoke coming from the home, with the male owner standing outside, stating his wife was still inside the home. Firefighters entered and subsequently located the victim on the first floor. It took around 50 firefighters and 30 minutes to control the fire. There were no reported injuries to emergency personnel.

After a preliminary origin and cause investigation, Deputy State Fire Marshals determined the fire originated in the kitchen, and the cause remains under investigation. While official identification and cause of death are pending an autopsy, the victim is believed to be the 82-year-old female occupant.

A joint investigation between the local police department and the Office of the State Fire Marshal is standard operating procedure, whenever a fatal fire occurs.

The victim was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore to determine the exact cause of death and where she will be positively identified.