A woman died Friday morning after she went back inside a burning house to rescue her cat in Chevy Chase, Maryland, a fire department spokesman told WTOP.
She had evacuated the house with a man, who survived with injuries that are not considered life-threatening, according to department spokesman Pete Piringer. A firefighter also suffered injuries that are not considered life-threatening.
One cat died as a result of the fire and a second cat was found later in the day on Friday, Piringer told WTOP.
A neighbor told WTOP a brother and sister lived in the home together.
“They’re very nice people, and it’s going to be really tough now for her brother, and I have no idea what it’s going to look like going forward, but I hope they get all the help they can get,” Marvin Ott told WTOP.
Multiple callers contacted 911 early Friday morning after spotting smoke, including a person who was inside the house in the 4700 block of Merivale Road, just off Western Avenue.
When firefighters arrived around 5:45 a.m., Piringer said all floors of the house were in flames — including the basement — and they were told no one was inside.
“One occupant indicated that everybody was out, but that was not the case,” Piringer said in a video posted to social media.
The woman was found unconscious inside the house; Piringer said she received medical treatment at the scene but died from her injuries.
Piringer said a man suffering from smoke inhalation was brought to the hospital and is expected to be OK. A firefighter with non-life-threatening injuries was also brought to the hospital to be checked out.
Firefighters put the flames out after hitting hot spots for a couple hours, Piringer said. About 80 firefighters responded to the scene, including members of the hazmat team who dealt with damaged lithium batteries in the garage.
Investigators believe the fire started in the basement but they’re still looking into a few possible sources that ignited the flames. Piringer said the fire is believed to be accidental and there weren’t working smoke alarms inside.
Montgomery County police are investigating the deadly fire. The woman who was killed will be publicly identified after her family is contacted about what happened.
WTOP’s Liz Anderson contributed to this report.