Severn fire that killed three ruled accidental

The cause of a fire that killed two residents and a worker at an Arundel Lodge facility in Severn on April 21st has been determined to be accidental. Members of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department Fire and Explosives Investigation Unit have concluded that the accidental fire was the result of an electrical fault in a duplex electrical receptacle located in a rear bedroom of the residence.

Just after 10:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 21st, Anne Arundel County 9-1-1 began receiving multiple calls reporting a home on fire in the 7900 block of Stone Hearth Road. The first arriving firefighters reported heavy fire from the rear of the single-family dwelling. Occupants of the home who had been alerted by working smoke alarms and escaped before firefighters arrived advised them that someone was possibly still inside. Firefighters immediately made entry and removed one adult who was declared deceased at the scene. During additional searches, two more adult victims were found deceased. Four other occupants escaped without injury.

The deceased have been identified as:

Walter McCardell, 61, resident

William Garcia, 44, resident

Barbara Brown, 65, employee, resident of Brooklyn

Fire Investigators remained on the scene the night of the fire and through much of the following day. They were assisted by members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who brought additional assets to the investigation.

The three fatalities are the first fire-related deaths in Anne Arundel County in 2018.