Fire Deaths Down This Year In Maryland - WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

Fire Deaths Down This Year In Maryland

MARYLAND - A new report out Monday shows fatal fires in Maryland are down. The Fire Marshal's Office says 22 people died in blazes, so far this year, compared to 28 last year. However, kitchen fires are up which is usually attributed to unattended cooking. Officials say they're optimistic, but more needs to be done, especially during the winter time.

"One of the big causes for fire is ordinary common combustibles being too close to a heat source. Whether it be a wood stove, electric baseboard heat, kerosene heater, or the ceramic space heater, everybody is using them things," said Deputy Fire Marshal, Kirby Travers.

Officials say they can't stress enough how important it is to have a working smoke detector. If you don't have one, contact your local fire department.