CUMBERLAND, MD – The Cumberland Police Department has confirmed the death of an adult woman inside a home on Columbia Avenue Tuesday evening.
As a result of the deadly house fire Tuesday evening in Cumberland that claimed the life of a female resident, the Cumberland Fire Department Fire Marshal’s Office, Cumberland Police Department, and C3I are continuing the investigation.
Firefighters arrived at the two story duplex at 525 Columbia Avenue shortly before 5:00 p.m. and reported heavy smoke and flames emanating from the two-story structure.
Firefighters from surrounding departments were quickly dispatched to the fire, which was quickly upgraded to a three-alarm. They were able to contain the fire within fifteen minutes of the call. Following a subsequent search of the home, they found a victim on the second floor. Her identity will be determined by the Baltimore Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
A fire began in the second-floor bedroom, according to investigators, but the cause of the fire remains unknown. Investigators were unable to confirm the presence of functioning smoke alarms within the home. The Office of the State Fire Marshal stresses to all Maryland residents that smoke alarms can make the difference between life and death in the event of a fire.
It is the standard operating procedure for the Office of the State Fire Marshal to conduct a joint investigation with the local police agency when a fatal fire occurs.