Tragic Waldorf Fire Claims Six Lives, Including Four Children
CHARLES COUNTY, MD ( August 10, 2025) - A team of investigators from the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Charles County Sheriff's Office worked throughout the day Sunday to determine the cause of a devastating Sunday morning fire in Waldorf that claimed six lives in the 3000 block of Declaration Court North.
At around 8:40 a.m., the first 911 calls were received reporting a house fire with reported entrapment. Charles County Sheriff's Office was the first to arrive, and discovered that two adult occupants escaped unharmed*, and they were told that possibly up to six others were inside. Deputies attempted to enter the home but could not due to heavy smoke and flames. Within minutes, firefighters from the Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department and surrounding departments arrived and immediately upgraded the incident to two alarms. Crews worked quickly to bring the fire under control while searching for victims. Another adult occupant arrived at the home while the fire department was on the scene; however, tragically, two other adults and four children were found deceased inside the home.
Investigators were assisted by K9 "Taylor, the Calvert K-9 Search Team, and the Charles County Collapse Team, which assisted with shoring up the home due to extensive structural fire damage. While the cause remains under investigation, investigators determined the fire originated within an enclosed porch on the right side of the home. The identities and ages of the victims will be confirmed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, who will also determine their exact cause of death.
"This is an unimaginable loss for the community," said Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray. "Our hearts go out to the families impacted by this heartbreaking event. In times like this, we must come together to support one another and remember the importance of fire safety in our homes."
A joint investigation is a standard operating procedure between the Office of the State Fire and the local authority having jurisdiction whenever a fatal fire occurs. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is our federal partner in fire and explosive investigations, and a joint investigation is routine in multi-fatal and high-dollar loss investigations.
* - This corrects an earlier report that only one person escaped from the home
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 Photo Credit - Unknown Source
 Photo Credit - OSFM
 Photo Credit - OSFM
The
Office of the State Fire Marshal is an agency of the Department of
State Police dedicated to helping protect citizens from fire and
explosion through a comprehensive program of education,
inspection, investigation and fire protection engineering. For more
information on fire safety call 1-800-525-3124, log onto our website at: Maryland State Fire Marshal and/or our Facebook Page.
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