UPDATE (March 21, 10:00 a.m.): Police identify the victim in last night’s fatal fire as resident Katie Chase, 15. Investigators have determined the cause of the fire was accidental.
ORIGINAL RELEASE FROM HCDFRS (March 20): COLUMBIA, MD – At 7:30 pm, firefighters from the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services (HCDFRS) were alerted to the 11500 block of Shell Flower Lane in Columbia for a townhouse fire with a report of a victim trapped inside. Upon arrival, crews found fire visible from the second floor of the home.
Firefighters quickly entered and searched the structure. During their search, crews located one fatal victim inside. Their identification will be released after appropriate notifications are made to next of kin. Crews brought the fire under control in about 20 minutes. Two additional patients were transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
The Red Cross has been requested to assist the home’s residents. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Office of the Fire Marshal and Howard County Police Department, which is standard procedure in the event of a fatality.
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