A fire killed four children and two adults after ripping through a house in Charles county, Maryland, on Sunday, authorities said.
Oliver Alkire, the master deputy state fire marshal, told reporters that the blaze was the deadliest fire in Maryland in more than 10 years.
“The house was built in a year when they should’ve had hard-wired smoke alarms. I can’t confirm if they were actually activated.
One person managed to escape the fire reported at about 8.40am at the home in Waldorf, about 55 miles (88km) south of Baltimore, the local news outlet WTOP reported.
It took about 70 firefighters more than an hour to control the flames. One firefighter was hospitalized and another first responder was treated at the scene for unspecified injuries.
The cause of the fire was under investigation. Alkire said the blaze originated on the right side of the home within an enclosed porch.
The ages and names of the victims were not immediately released.
Alkire said officials didn’t immediately know if the residence had working smoke alarms and reminded the public to make sure their homes were equipped with such devices.
“We have no reports of someone hearing a smoke alarm activating, so it just shows you the importance of how important those life-saving devices are,” Alkire said.
The Associated Press contributed reporting
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