Fatal Barn Fire Under Investigation in St. Mary’s County
ST. MARY'S COUNTY, MD (February 25, 2026) - A joint investigation between the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Maryland State Police continues after a barn fire claimed the life of a 62-year-old Chaptico man late Tuesday night.
On February 24, 2026, just after 10:00 p.m., firefighters with Leornardtown, Mechanicsville, and several other nearby fire departments responded to 36111 Roosevelt Boulevard for a reported barn fire with entrapment. 911 callers advised that a barn was on fire, and a person was trapped inside.
Firefighters arrived to find a 50-by-100-foot barn nearly fully engulfed in fire. Family members on scene confirmed that one individual was still inside the structure. After the fire was brought under control, firefighters located a deceased male victim within the barn.
Deputy State Fire Marshals learned that earlier in the evening, the victim had gone into the barn to attempt to jump-start a vehicle. According to the victim, he contacted her while working inside, requesting a fire extinguisher. When she went outside, the fire had quickly spread throughout the barn. During her attempt to reach him, she sustained burns to her hands and was transported to MedStar Washington Hospital Center for treatment.
The victim was located near a vehicle inside and was pronounced deceased at the scene by fire department personnel. He has been preliminarily identified as the 62-year-old homeowner.
The victim was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore, where positive identification and the cause of death will be determined. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
A joint investigation by the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction is standard procedure for all fatal fire incidents.
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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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