UPDATE 4/7/2022: Officials from Medstar Washington Hospital Center reported that Barbara Sue Thompson, 75, succumbed to the injuries she had received during a fire inside her home yesterday, April 6, 2022, in Hughesville.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal and Charles County Sheriff’s Office are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire that also seriously injured a 44-year-old man who rescued Thompson. He remains hospitalized in stable condition.
At around 9:30 a.m., firefighters from Charles, St. Mary’s, Prince George’s County, and Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported dwelling fire at 5950 Foster Place in Hughesville.
Deputy State Fire Marshals had determined the fire originated on the first floor of the dwelling and concluded the male occupant was on the home’s second floor when he heard an explosion and saw smoke from the HVAC vents. He then went to the first floor and found heavy fire conditions in a bedroom on the first floor. He entered the room, rescued Thompson, and was subsequently injured.
This is the fourth fire fatality in less than a week in Maryland, and all are under investigation, including a fire in Waldorf that claimed the lives of a woman and infant last Thursday.
“These tragic incidents are heartbreaking and are a reminder that fire is everyone’s fight. Get out, stay out. Have working smoke alarms and an escape plan in place,” stated State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci
“The first line of defense against fire is prevention,” Geraci continued, “Prevention starts with awareness. I’m asking all Maryland families to be aware of the fire hazards in your home and address them sooner rather than later.”
UPDATE 4/6/2022 @ 8:00 p.m.: The Office of the State Fire Marshal and Charles County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the cause of a fire that seriously injured a 44-year-old man and left a 75-year-old woman clinging to life in critical condition.
At around 9:30 a.m., firefighters from Charles, St. Mary’s, Prince George’s County, and Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported dwelling fire at 5950 Foster Place in Hughesville. According to investigators, the home was located on a single-lane dirt road approximately one and a half miles from the nearest hard surface road, and access to the home was difficult due to being remote.
Upon arrival, deputies and fire personnel found a two-story single-family dwelling with heavy fire on the first floor extending to the remainder of the home. First arriving personnel found the home’s occupants in the driveway suffering from burn injuries. EMS personnel treated and transported both patients to Medstar Washington Hospital Center.
Deputy State Fire Marshals have determined the fire originated on the first floor of the dwelling and concluded the male occupant was on the home’s second floor when he heard an explosion and saw smoke from the HVAC vents. He then went to the first floor and found heavy fire conditions in a bedroom on the first floor. He entered the room, retrieved the female occupant, and sustained significant burn injuries.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
4/6/2022: On Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at approximately 9:32 a.m., firefighters from Charles, Calvert, Prince George’s, and St. Mary’s County responded to 5950 Foster Place in Hughesville, for the reported house fire.
The 911 caller reported she arrived at the residence to find it on fire with her mother laying in the yard with injuries. A Maryland State Police Helicopter Trooper was requested to pre-launch, however, all helicopters were down due to weather.
Crews arrived on the scene to find fire showing from a 2-story residence. Incident command advised the fire will be a defensive operation only.
SMECO and the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal was requested to the scene.
One adult male and one adult female were transported to area treatment facilities with serious injuries. EMS was requested to the scene to evaluate one injured firefighter. It is unknown if the firefighter was transported.
Firefighters controlled the fire in approximately 45 minutes. Crews operated on the scene for over 4 hours.
Photo courtesy of the Charles County Volunteer Firemen’s Association.
Updates will be provided when they become available.
