Fatal Christmas Morning Fire in Capitol Heights


MEDIA CONTACT: Mark E. Brady, Chief Spokesperson, 240-508-7930
mebrady@co.pg.md.us     @PGFDPIO

A Capitol Heights woman died in an early Christmas morning fire.  At around 2:15 am firefighters and paramedics were alerted to a fire in the 900 block of Booker Drive.  Firefighters arrived to find a 2-story duplex with fire showing and a report of a female trapped on the second floor. 

Preliminary investigation indicates a fire started on the first floor.  A working smoke alarm detected smoke and emitted a warning signal to the occupants.  An adult male was awakened by the smoke alarm.  He made attempts to reach his 87-year-old mother, however, the intense heat and thick smoke was just too much and he exited the home.

After the fire was extinguished firefighters discovered the female and she was pronounced deceased.  The cause of the fire is under investigation and fire loss estimates are still being tabulated.

Firefighters will return to the community on Friday afternoon to conduct a Post Incident Neighborhood Intervention Program (PINIP).  Firefighters will go door-to-door in the Booker Drive neighborhood and answer any questions residents may have about the fire and check to ensure everyone is protected by a working smoke alarm and has a home escape plan.

The Booker Drive PINIP will be the second one conducted on Friday.  Firefighters will also be returning to a Bowie neighborhood at 11:00 am where an 83 year old man lost his life in a fire on Christmas Eve.  Fire Chief Marc Bashoor will provide comments and updates on both fires at the Bowie PINIP.

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