One person has died and one person was taken to an area hospital after an overnight fire in a Hampstead home.
"The building was safe it's just the fire compromised the structural integrity of the building," said Sr. Deputy State Fire Marshall, Oliver Alkire.
According to the State Fire Marshal, officers were called to the home just before 1:30 a.m. Sunday to the 2600 block of Hoffman Mill Rd. It took 35 firefighters to bring the fire under control in a half hour.
When crews got inside, they found a woman who died from her injuries.
The victim was taken to the Officer of the Chief Medical Examiner to be identified and for the exact cause of death to be determined.
"They also found the male homeowner on the outside of the residence sustaining smoke inhalation as well as minor burns to his upper extremities," said Alkire.
69-year-old Robert Schech, an occupant of the home, was taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Burn Center in “guarded condition.”
Officials say the home was a two story wood framed single family house and that it is estimated to be a total loss due to the fire damage.
The State Fire Marshals office, along with the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, are still investigating the cause of the fire.
Now officials are using this tragedy as a teachable moment to save lives.
