Oxon Hill Apartment Fire with Civilian Fatality - Audrey Lane

MEDIA CONTACT: Mark E. Brady, Chief Spokesperson, 240-508-7930

mebrady@co.pg.md.us     @PGFDPIO

Firefighters from the Oxon Hill area were alerted to a call for smoke inside of an apartment building with a smoke alarm sounding this morning.  At around 5:00 am, Sunday, May 17, Fire/EMS units responded to a 3-story apartment building in the 600 block of Audrey Lane and arrived to confirm the 911 callers report of smoke in the hallway. 

Firefighters entered a third floor apartment where the smoke alarm was sounding and found a relatively small fire inside the apartment.  The fire was quickly contained and extinguished.  An adult female was found in the area of fire origin with burn injuries and pronounced deceased.

A working smoke alarm was found inside the apartment of origin.  The base of the alarm was correctly located in the hallway just outside of the sleeping area.  However, the actual smoke alarm itself had previously been removed from the base and placed inside of a hallway closet.  The alarm still was able to detect smoke and emitted an audible warning albeit more than likely delayed due to it’s location.

The Prince George’s County Office of the Fire Marshal will be investigating the cause and origin of the fire.  As is standard operating procedure the County Police will assist with the investigation while a cause of the fire is determined.  If the cause is found to be accidental the Fire/EMS Department will continue as lead investigators.   If the cause is suspicious, the Police will take the lead investigatory role.  The cause currently is under investigation.

Fire damage was minimal and contained to the area of origin in the third floor apartment.  Displacement of other residents of the building will be limited if any.  The County Citizen Services Unit will work with the Fire/EMS Department to determine if displacement will be necessary.

The identity of the deceased will be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Top floor apartment (lights on) shows no exterior sign of any smoke or fire damage. (PGFD)