Accokeek woman, pets die in house fire

Friday, Feb. 5, 2010

An Accokeek house fire killed a woman and several family pets Saturday afternoon, Prince George's County fire officials said.

The name of the resident had not been confirmed due to the severity of her burns, but the woman, who was in her 60s, was the only person home at the time of the fire, said Mark Brady, spokesman for the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department.

Brady said that although the cause of the fire and her death won't be released until the medical examiner finishes the official report, "we don't believe anything sinister is involved."

Firefighters responded to the house on Accokeek Road around 1:50 p.m. after a neighbor called about smoke coming from the house. Firefighters found the victim next to the front door and pronounced her dead on the scene. There were no working fire alarms in the house, Brady said. Damage to the house is estimated at $150,000.

ANDREA NOBLE and ZOE TILLMAN