WASHINGTON — The Anne Arundel County Fire Department has identified the three people who died in a house fire over the weekend in Severn, Maryland.
Walter McCardell, 61, and William Garcia, 44, were both residents of the group home in the 7900 block of Stone Hearth Road. Barbara Brown, 65, was an employee.
The group home was operated by the Arundel Lodge, a nonprofit that operates several programs for people with behavioral health disorders.
The fire department said the cause of the blaze remains under investigation. Firefighters responded to the home about 10:45 p.m. Saturday after receiving several 911 calls, authorities said. The house had working smoke alarms and four other residents were able to escape. Firefighters said they encountered heavy fire coming from the back of the house.
About 45 firefighters responded to the house and put out the fire in about an hour.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting with the investigation into the fire’s cause. The department asked anyone with photos or videos of the fire — especially before firefighters arrived — to contact the department at 410-222-TIPS.
The three deaths are the first fire-related deaths in Anne Arundel County this year, the fire department said.
