76-Year-Old Victim Of Crownsville House Fire Identified: Report

CROWNSVILLE, MD — On Monday, the Anne Arundel County Fire Department identified the 76-year-old woman who died outside a Crownsville house fire on Friday. Fire officials say the woman was Helen Collins.

Crews evacuated Collins from her burning home, but she died on the scene, a department spokesperson noted. The department says her official cause of death is under investigation.

One firefighter suffered minor burns to his ears. Medics took him to the Johns Hopkins Burn Center at Baltimore's Bayview Medical Center.

Crews battled the flames throughout the morning, but the blaze left the home beyond repair, the fire official added. The single family residence is located in the 800 block of Generals Highway. Flames engulfed the property's basement, first and second floors.

Neighbors called firefighters to the scene around 10:30 a.m. The department battled "heavy fire" but contained the flames around 11:30 p.m. It remained on the scene for a few more hours to extinguish the remaining embers.

The home is located in a secluded part of town, half a mile down a private driveway. Being so far from a fire hydrant made fighting this blaze a little more challenging.

"We do have a lot of the areas of the county that don't have fire hydrants," fire department spokesperson Erik Kornmeyer said, mentioning that the closest hydrant was three-quarters of a mile away. "We do train for that. We are prepared for it."

The Anne Arundel County Fire Department dispatched six tankers, which bring water to remote areas. These tankers repeatedly filled up at the nearest hydrant and dumped their load into a pop-up pool.

Engines pumped the water from this roadside pool, down the driveway and to the scene of the fire. This allowed firefighters to keep a constant 3,000-gallon water supply on-hand. The fire department closed Generals Highway between Veterans Highway and Indian Landing Road, while these tankers continuously replenished the operation's water supply.

Additional firetrucks and multiple brush fire units joined the tankers at the fire. First responders came from stations in Annapolis Neck, Brooklyn, Jacobsville, Lake Shore, Odenton, Riva, Riviera Beach and Waugh Chapel.

The Annapolis Fire Department and Fort Meade Fire & Rescue Services assisted the response. Altogether, 45 firefighters reported to the emergency.

Investigators arrived around noon. They have not yet determined the cause of the fire. The Fire and Explosives Investigation Unit is handling the inquiry.

The home is likely more than 70 years old, Kornmeyer added. The house was one of 10 to 15 that resided down the long driveway, he said.

Two other adults and one child lived in the damaged dwelling with Collins, but she was the only one home during the fire. The Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents with housing.

This was Anne Arundel County's third fire-related death in 2020.

The fire department said a house fire killed Margaret Ann Mogavero, 78, on May 14. The blaze, which took place in the 1500 block of Fairview Beach Road in Pasadena, is still under investigation.

Two days later, 69-year-old Kathleen Cecilia Jepson died in a house fire, the department added. That fatal incident happened in the 1400 block of Millwood Court in Cape St. Claire. Investigators believe unattended cooking caused this accidental fire.

Fire officials remind residents to check their smoke detectors each month.

"Many people now have the smoke alarms with the 10 year battery," the department said in a Thursday afternoon press release. "But it is important to test your smoke alarm each month to make sure they are working properly."

Anybody who may not be able to afford smoke detectors can get assistance by calling the department's Office of Education at (410) 222-8303.

RELATED:

• Fire Kills Crownsville Woman, 76, Report Says: Photo, Video Story

Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news