2nd person dies in Aspen Hill house fire

Flames broke out in the basement of this Montgomery County home on Jan. 30, 2023. (Courtesy Pete Piringer)
A man and woman died following this fire in Montgomery County on Jan. 30, 2023. (Courtesy Pete Piringer)
A family of five was displaced by a fire in Aspen Hill. (Courtesy Pete Piringer)
The Aspen Hill home sustained $225,000 in damages. (Courtesy Pete Piringer)
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A second person is dead after a Maryland home caught on fire late Monday night.

A third person inside escaped the flames before firefighters arrived to the Aspen Hill home in the 13400 block of Oriental Street around 11:15 p.m.



Two older adults, a man in his 80s and a woman in her 60s, were found unconscious and in “grave” condition in an upstairs bedroom, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer.

Both were taken to a trauma and burn center, where the man later died, Piringer said in an update Tuesday morning.

The woman sustained life threatening injuries. She later died due to her injuries, Piringer said Wednesday on Twitter.

The woman went back into the burning home to look for her father, according to WTOP’s news partners at NBC Washington. Her husband was able to escape.

In total, five adults and two children lived in the home, according to Piringer.

Watch video with one of the displaced family member’s from NBC Washington below.

NBC Washington reports that a family who lived in the basement was also able to escape. The family is from El Salvador and reportedly includes a young girl and a 4-month-old baby.

A family member told NBC Washington that she’s grateful they’re OK and that though they don’t have family nearby, they do have support from the area’s Salvadoran community.

Piringer said the fire started because of an electrical panel in the basement, causing $225,000 in damages.

Here’s a map of the area where the fire happened:

Jessica Kronzer

Jessica Kronzer graduated from James Madison University in May 2021 after studying media and politics. She enjoys covering politics, advocacy and compelling human-interest stories.

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