A tragic incident occurred Sunday night in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, where a father lost his life while attempting to save his 10-year-old son from a devastating house fire, according to the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal.
At approximately 10 p.m., crews from the Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department, assisted by multiple neighboring fire units, were dispatched to the 22800 block of Thornbury Drive in Hollywood to respond to a reported fire. Initial reports indicated that a child was trapped inside the residence, as detailed in the fire marshal’s statement released early Monday morning.
As firefighters arrived on the scene, they learned that the owner of the home had re-entered the burning structure in a desperate attempt to locate his son. Deputy Fire Marshal Oliver Akire confirmed that it remains unclear whether this information originated from the initial emergency call or another bystander.
Fortunately, the young boy managed to escape, but tragically, his father became trapped within the house. Emergency responders later discovered the father’s body on the second floor, as stated in the official release.
Authorities were able to identify the man at the scene, but the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will now ascertain the official cause and manner of death, according to the news release.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Preliminary findings suggest that the family might have been using celebrated ground-based sparkler fireworks, which were improperly disposed of in a trash can located on the rear deck of the home. Officials believe these fireworks ignited, leading to the rapid engulfing of the structure in flames.
Investigators from both the state fire marshal’s office and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office are diligently working to determine if the remnants of the fireworks remained sufficiently hot to catch other materials in the trash can on fire.
“Our hearts are with this family as they face an unimaginable loss,” said Acting State Fire Marshal Jason Mowbray in a statement. “As we continue our investigation, we want everyone to remember that the hazards posed by fireworks are not extinguished once the show concludes.”
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