FATAL BLAZE CLAIMS 13-YEAR-OLD

PARENTS REMAIN IN CRITICAL CONDITION

          HUNTINGTOWN, MD (November 1, 2006) --  A thirteen-year-old boy was killed and his parents critically injured when fire swept through their home in Huntingtown late Tuesday evening in Huntingtown in Calvert County.  The blaze has claimed the life of Michael Joseph Philbin while  his parents, Karen Ann Philbin, age 52, and Kevin Patrick Philbin, age 55, remain in critical condition at the Washington Hospital Center.

            A team of Deputy State Fire Marshals has determined the 10:40 p.m. blaze on October 31, 2006 at 2120 Stinnett Road began in the living room of the one story, wood-frame rancher and quickly spread through the home.  Their investigation has also revealed a neighbor discovered the fire and quickly called 911.  Upon arrival, firefighters found the father suffering from smoke inhalation and burns outside the home.  A search of the burning home by firefighters discovered the youth in his bedroom and the mother in her bedroom.  Both were removed from the building and transported to Calvert Memorial Hospital in Prince Frederick.  The youth was pronounced dead on arrival while the mother was stabilized and flown to the Washington Hospital Center by Maryland State Police Aviation.  The father was flown to the hospital directly from the fire scene while two Calvert County Deputy Sheriffs and one firefighter sustained minor cuts and smoke inhalation during rescue efforts. They were treated and released from Calvert Memorial Hospital. 

            Deputy State Fire Marshals have also determined the family pet, a German Shepard, was killed in the fire.  Their investigation has found no evidence of a smoke alarm in the home and the dwelling was not equipped with residential fire sprinklers, a life-saving feature required in townhomes or multi-family homes in Maryland since the early 1990’s.  Although the investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire continues, no evidence has been discovered to indicate the fire was incendiary.

            Over seventy firefighters from Huntingtown, the Naval District of Washington Fire Department Station 15, Prince Frederick, and North Beach brought the stubborn fire under control in thirty minutes.  Damages to the home and contents have been estimated at $300,000.