Triple Fatal Edgewood House Fire Sparks Criminal Investigation

EDGEWOOD, MD — Three people died in a house fire in Edgewood Thursday morning, according to fire officials. Nine people lived in the home, and multiple agencies are investigating the deadly blaze, including the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Harford County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

"We are going down the path that this is a criminal investigation," State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci said at a press conference Thursday afternoon in Edgewood.

Investigators obtained a warrant to search the house on Simons Court "based on some information we had and also based on the information of this possibly being an illegal boarding house," Geraci said.

Nine rooms were set up for people to live in at the residence, and one individual had left the home sometime last week, Geraci said.

"We have eight people here that are unrelated,” said Geraci, meaning it was considered a lodging house under state fire code.

"It’s not licensed; it’s not documented; it hasn’t had any inspections," Geraci said. "We're running a fire investigation, and we're looking at the code side as well."

Someone called 911 to report the fire on Simons Court in Edgewood after 2 a.m. on Thursday, May 9, according to Geraci.

Fire was visible when crews arrived at the townhouse in the 1800 block of Simons Court, according to the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company, which reported it was first at the scene. Heavy fire conditions were present in the townhouse.

There were multiple fatalities and injuries, officials said:

• Three residents died.
• Two were injured.
• Three escaped without injuries.
• One resident was not at home at the time of the fire.

The victims have not yet been identified, the fire marshal said.

Of the injured, one suffered a trauma and "extremity issues" from jumping out a window on the second or third story to escape, according to Geraci.

The other injured person was recovering at a burn center, he said, after the fire burned more than 70 percent of the individual's body.

For the three people who got out unharmed, the fire marshal credited working smoke alarms. They lived in the basement and escaped with their dog, according to WBAL.

Investigators had interviewed the owner of the house. He lives in Harford County, according to Geraci. "We’re still working with him,” he said Thursday afternoon.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause and origin of the blaze.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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