84-year-old woman dies in Oxon Hill townhouse fire

An 84-year-old woman was killed Tuesday evening after a fire broke out in her Oxon Hill townhouse, officials said.

Neighbors called 911 just before 7 p.m. after seeing flames pouring from the second story of the middle-unit townhouse. 

Fatal fire in Oxon Hill

The backstory:

When Prince George’s County Fire and Rescue arrived, they were met with heavy conditions.

Firefighters quickly located the blaze in an upstairs bedroom and were able to contain it to the unit of origin, officials said. It took crews about 15 minutes to put out the flames.

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Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the fire, but an investigation is underway. Officials said they do not suspect foul play.

What they're saying:

Prince George’s County Fire Department spokesperson Alan Doubleday said preliminary findings suggest that the home’s two smoke alarms were not functioning.

"At this point now, it appears that the two smoke alarms in the home were not working," Doubleday said. "That will be part of the official investigation with the Prince George’s County Fire Marshal."

The victim was found alone inside the home and pronounced dead at the scene. 

Her body will be taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore, which is standard procedure.

Neighbors who spoke off-camera described the woman as friendly and well-known in the community, though she mostly kept to herself.

Authorities have not yet released her name, pending notification of next of kin. Her goddaughter was seen at the scene Tuesday night.

The Source: The information in this story comes from PGFD and FOX 5 DC reporting.

Oxon HillPrince George's County Fire Department