Maryland house fire: Six dead, including four children, after horror fire

Six people, including four children, have sadly died after afire ripped through a family home Sunday morning.

The horror fire destroyed a large part of the home in Charles County, Maryland, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office.

At around 8:40a.m. local time Waldorf Volunteer Fire Departmentand several surrounding departments responded to the 3000 block of Declaration Court North for a dwelling fire with reported entrapment. Upon arrival the fire was quickly upgraded to two-alarms.

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Teams of Deputy State Fire Marshals, ATF agents, CCSO detectices, and firefighters rushed to the scene and were assisted by the Calvert K9 Search and Rescue, and the Charles County Collapse Team.

Authorities confirmed two adults and four children sadly died in the fire. One adult escaped, and two more were not home when the fire broke out. Investigators will remain on the scene and focus on the cause of the fire.

In a statement on the official Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal Facebook page Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray issued a final update at 7.40pm local time.

The update read: "Investigators have cleared the scene, and the fire department will be clearing shortly. Tragically, two adults and four children perished. Another three adults are safe. The cause remains under investigation. The medical examiner's office will confirm identities, and we will provide updates on the names and ages in the coming days.

"We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of six lives, including four children, in Waldorf today. 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," said Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray

Investigators are still determining the cause of the fire. The Fire Marshal said there is no evidence of criminal activity, and accidental causes are being investigated.

Master Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire said the fire originated on the right side of the home within an enclosed porch, according to WTOP News.

Several first responders were also injured at the scene, with one sent to the hospital and another treated at the scene. The house may not have had working fire alarms, according to the fire marshal.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal is an agency of the Maryland Department of State Police. A statement on their website reads: "We are responsible for statewide fire, arson, and explosive investigations, enforcement of the State Fire Prevention Code by plan review and inspections, coordination of fire prevention efforts, and the collection of fire incident data. We take pride in our 130-year history, as the oldest State Fire Marshal's Office in the nation and the second oldest State law enforcement agency."