Man dies days after accidental Baltimore County house fire sparked by lighter
A 59-year-old man died days after a fire at a home in Halethorpe, according to Baltimore County Fire officials.
The man has been identified as Dennis Randle, a resident of the home, officials said.
A woman and a firefighter were also injured during the fire on Monday, Feb. 2, in the 1200 block of Vogt Avenue, officials said.
Deadly house fire
Firefighters responded to the scene and found heavy fire coming from the second floor of the home.
During a search of the house, crews found Randle unconscious. He was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he died from his injuries on Friday, Feb. 6, fire officials said.
According to fire crews, neighbors helped a woman escape from the home through a window. A firefighter was also taken to a hospital after suffering minor injuries during the emergency response.
Investigators determined that the fire was caused by the improper use of a lighter.
Fire fatalities in Baltimore County
Randle's death marked the fourth fire fatality of 2026 in Baltimore County.
Fire officials said Friday that they have seen a rise in deadly house fires in the past two months.
On Jan. 4, the county recorded its first fire-related death of the year after a 76-year-old was killed in a Parkville house fire.
A 6-month-old died in a house fire in Essex in mid-January, and that same night, more than a dozen people were displaced due to an apartment fire in Dundalk.