Man Dies In Columbia Apartment Fire, Officials Reveal Cause

COLUMBIA, MD — A man died after an apartment fire in Columbia on Tuesday that investigators say was likely caused by an electrical malfunction.

Firefighters with the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services responded to the 11500 block of Little Patuxent Parkway around 5:45 p.m. for a report of the smell of smoke in an apartment building.

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When crews arrived, they found smoke coming from the building and entered to search for the source.

Firefighters located a kitchen fire inside an apartment and found an adult man in cardiac arrest. He was rescued from the apartment, but despite resuscitation efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Howard County police later identified the victim as 63-year-old David Richardson.

The fire was extinguished in about 10 minutes. No firefighters were injured.

The Howard County Office of the Fire Marshal determined the fire was accidental and was likely caused by an electrical malfunction. The Howard County Police Department also investigated the blaze.