FAULKNER, MD — Two men were found dead Thursday morning after a house fire tore through a two-story home in Charles County, with investigators still working to determine what sparked the blaze.
Key Points
- Fire broke out around 6:15 a.m. on April 17 on Brunswick Road in Faulkner
- Two residents, ages 62 and 70, were found deceased on the second floor
- Hoarding conditions inside the home hindered firefighting efforts
Firefighters face extreme conditions in early morning blaze
Responding units from the Bel Alton Volunteer Fire Department and surrounding stations arrived at 9690 Brunswick Road to find the residence fully engulfed. Initial reports indicated that the homeowners were unaccounted for.
Firefighters battled the flames under severe hoarding conditions, which significantly hampered their ability to suppress the fire. It took 50 personnel approximately two hours to bring the fire under control.
Victims identified, one tenant escapes unharmed
Crews later located the bodies of the homeowners, identified as 62-year-old Robert Bowling and 70-year-old Kim Dickens, on the second floor. A tenant living on the first floor managed to escape the fire without injury.
Damage to the structure is estimated at $175,000, with an additional $75,000 in lost contents. While smoke alarms were present in the home, their operational status has not been confirmed.
The victims were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsies.