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| Maryland State Fire Marshal Carl Witmer looks at photos on the back of his camera while investigating the cause of a fatal fire that killed two people in Hagerstown, Md., Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017. |
An overloaded power strip caused a fire that killed a mother and her son last month on Snyder Avenue in Hagerstown.
City Fire Marshal Doug DeHaven wrote in an email that the power strip overheated and ignited combustibles in the first-floor living room.
After firefighters put out the blaze, they found the bodies of Tyson Kegarise, 41, and Debra Kegarise, 62, on the second floor of the duplex at 20 Snyder Ave.
"The cause of death was listed on their documents as smoke inhalation and thermal burns for both victims," DeHaven said.
Complete autopsy results are normally unavailable for four to six weeks until the toxicology tests are done, he said.
Two nonfunctioning, 9-volt battery smoke alarms were found in the debris, according to DeHaven.
“This was a preventable fire and a tragedy that should never have happened,” he said. “Working smoke alarms are the first line of defense to provide you time to get out in the event of a fire. Had they had working smoke alarms, the result may have been totally different.”
The fire, which was reported at 3:31 a.m. on Oct. 24, also took the lives of two dogs and caused extensive damage to both sides of the duplex.
Hagerstown fire marshals were supported at the scene by the Hagerstown Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division and the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office.
DeHaven said the Hagerstown Fire Department returned to the neighborhood on the day of the fire to ensure all of the homes had working smoke alarms.
"The canvass resulted in several smoke alarms being repaired or new ones installed," he said.
DeHaven said most fire departments will install smoke alarms at no charge.
Hagerstown residents who need assistance checking their smoke alarms may call the fire department at 301-790-2476.
Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of the home, outside the sleeping area and in each bedroom, DeHaven said.
Homes that use fossil fuels, such as fuel oil or natural gas, also should have carbon monoxide alarms.
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HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) — Officials say two people have died in a house fire in western Maryland.
Firefighters responded to a duplex on Snyder Avenue in Hagerstown around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Officials say two adults were found dead on the second floor of the structure after firefighters were able to knock down the flames.
The names of the victims were being withheld pending notification of family members. The owners of the 18-20 Snyder Avenue dublex are listed and Debra M. Kegarise and her son, Frederick Kegarise.
An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the fire.
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HAGERSTOWN, Md. (ABC7) — A mother, son, and two dogs died in a fire at a duplex early Tuesday morning in Hagerstown, Maryland.
Hagerstown Fire Department officials have not identified the victims at this time.
The mother and son were trapped inside the home and a witness told ABC7 News neighbors heard the victims call for help.
Approximately 42 firefighters and 20 pieces of equipment were needed to combat the two-alarm fire.
The blaze took place on Snyder Avenue, and fire officials say an investigation into the incident is underway.
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| The home prior to the deadly fire |
Two adults and two dogs were found dead Tuesday after an early-morning fire in a duplex off Virginia Avenue in Hagerstown’s South End.
The fire destroyed the duplex at 18-20 Snyder Ave., Hagerstown Fire Chief Steve Lohr said.
No one was living at 18 Snyder Ave.
Jeremy Benna, who lives at 14 Snyder Ave., said that screaming and shattering glass woke him at about 3:30 a.m. He said he ran from his second-floor apartment outside and discovered the duplex next door at 20 Snyder Ave. was on fire.
Benna said he ran back inside his apartment, got dressed, banged on the door of his first-floor neighbors alerting them to the fire, and then called 911.
When he first ran outside, only the porch of the duplex was on fire, Benna said.
But that quickly changed.
“I beat it outside,” he said. “I tried to do something, but I just couldn’t.”
The Hagerstown Fire Department, along with units from surrounding jurisdictions, were dispatched to the fire, according to a news release.
They arrived to heavy fire coming from the first and second floors of 20 Snyder Ave., and extending into 18 Snyder Ave. Snyder Avenue is between Wilson Boulevard and Noland Drive.
The bodies of two adults were found on the second floor and one was immediately removed, Lohr said.
Both bodies will be taken to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Baltimore, the release said.
Hagerstown Fire Marshal Doug DeHaven said Tuesday afternoon that he could not release names of the victims, adding that assistance from the Medical Examiner’s Office is needed to confirm the identities.
DeHaven said he might have more information about the victims Wednesday morning.
DeHaven said it was too early to say what started the fire. He said fire officials cleared the scene about 4:35 p.m. Tuesday, and there are more interviews to be conducted as well as other followup investigation.
“It will be open for a while,” DeHaven said.
Firefighters had the fire knocked down within 20 minutes.
Ryan Llewellyn, the owner of the duplex at 14-16 Snyder Ave., said he and his girlfriend, Shelby Diehl, live on the first floor of 14 Snyder Ave. They were sleeping when Benna banged on their door.
Llewellyn immediately feared the fire would spread to his residence.
“I said, ‘We gotta get outside,’” Llewellyn said.
On Tuesday evening, a stream of vehicles slowly passed the house as onlookers took in the scene.
A few people stood outside talking about the people who lived in the house.
One man, who said he worked with a man who lived in the house, declined to comment.