The front of the residence in La Plata where one person perished in a fire Sunday night. (Photo: Office of the State Fire Marshal)CHARLES COUNTY, Md. (December 10, 2018)—Deputy State Fire Marshals are conducting an origin and cause investigation of late night fire that occurred on Sunday, December 9, in a one story commercial building. The property is South Winds Motel, located at 6365 Crain Highway in La Plata. The owner of the property is Timothy Hart.
The 911 call was received at approximately 11:21 p.m from a neighbor. Approximately 60 Fire personnel from La Plata Volunteer Fire Department and surrounding fire departments responded to the one alarm fire. The fire was placed under control within approximately seven minutes. An attempt by a Law Enforcement Officer was made to rescue the occupant but was unsuccessful due to the amount of smoke and heat. No smoke alarms were located during the investigation. The damage caused approximately $15,000 to the structure and approximately $5,000 to the contents. The origin and cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
The victim was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. The victim's name is not being released at this time pending identification of the victim.
The Charles County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation's Division is assisting with the investigation.
This is all the information available at this time. Additional information will be released once it becomes available.