Six people, including four children, died Sunday morning after a fire destroyed a home in Waldorf, Maryland.
The Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department got the call around 8:40 a.m. about a large fire with people trapped inside on Declaration Court North. When firefighters arrived, they were told up to six people might be inside.
At first, three people were found dead. Crews kept searching and later discovered three more victims, bringing the total to six.
Officials say nine people lived in the house. Two people escaped without injury, and another adult who lived there arrived after the fire had started.
“This is devastating,” said Bill Smith, a spokesperson for the Charles County Fire Department. “The loss of life is tragic.”
It took firefighters about an hour to bring the fire under control. One firefighter was taken to a nearby hospital for a medical issue.
The victims’ names and ages will be confirmed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which will also determine how they died.
Investigators believe the fire started on an enclosed porch on the right side of the home. The exact cause is still under investigation.
