Overview
- Deputy state fire marshals identified the victim as Charles William Heaps, 68, recovered overnight from debris at the destroyed home on Pentridge Court.
- Firefighters arrived around 5:45 p.m. to find the roughly 5,000-square-foot house fully engulfed and shifted to exterior operations due to collapse.
- Five family members in a separate area of the home escaped safely, and a family pet died in the incident.
- Damage is estimated at $2 million, and the residence is considered a total loss after crews used excavators to clear rubble.
- A joint investigation led by the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal, with Maryland State Police involved, continues as officials issue heating-safety warnings.