A 66-year-old man has died after a fire broke out Sunday in a single-family home in Kensington, Maryland, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue said.
Pete Piringer, chief spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue, said the fire in the 4300 block of Warner Street was reported by neighbors around 9 a.m. Sunday morning. When firefighters arrived on scene, they found significant fire and smoke coming out of the building. Around 50 firefighters contributed in combatting the blaze.
Once responders were able to get inside the building, they found the man — who Piringer said was the lone occupant of the house — suffering from significant burn injuries. He was later pronounced dead.
Piringer said it is the fifth fire fatality in the county this year, all of which involved people over the age of 60 who suffered from mobility issues, which first responders believe to have been a factor in this case.
According to Piringer, the house did not have working smoke detectors installed when the fire broke out.
“At some point in the near future, firefighters will return to this neighborhood and talk to neighbors about the circumstances, or at least … leave some information about smoke alarms and having an escape plan,” Piringer said.
Officials say the fire began in a living room of the home, but Piringer said a more extensive investigation into the cause of the fire in underway.
The victim’s identity has not been revealed.
