District Heights Townhouse Fire with Civilian Fatality - North Hil Mar Circle

MEDIA CONTACT: Alan Doubleday, Assistant Fire Chief, 202-480-4776
ACDoubleday@co.pg.md.us     @PGFDNews

A female occupant of a District Heights townhouse died after being rescued by firefighters on Sunday night.  Just after 11:00 pm, Sunday, February 11, Prince Georges County Firefighter/Medics were alerted to a townhouse fire in the 6000 block of North Hil Mar Circle.  Public Safety Communications obtained information from the initial 911 caller that someone was trapped inside.  Dispatchers relayed this information to responding firefighters.   Fire and EMS units arrived at the 2-story townhouse to find fire showing from the rear and immediately started a search for the trapped occupant as well as advanced hose lines inside to extinguish the fire.

An adult female was located on the 2nd floor by firefighters and brought outside to awaiting medics.  Immediate treatment on the patient was initiated and transported to a nearby hospital.  Tragically the patient was pronounced deceased a short time after arriving at the hospital.  No other civilian or firefighter injuries were reported.

The fire was extinguished in about 15 minutes.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.  As with any incident that involves a potential fire fatality the County Police Homicide Unit will jointly investigate with fire investigators until a cause of death and cause and origin of the fire have been determined.  No working smoke alarms were found inside the townhouse.  Fire loss is estimated at $80,000.

The County Citizen Services Unit and the American Red Cross are assisting 2 other residents from the townhouse of origin that are now displaced.


The deceased occupant has been identified as Doris Miller, 84 years-of-age, of District Heights.

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