Apartment fire in Howard County leaves 1 dead

One person is dead after an apartment fire in Columbia, Maryland, on Tuesday, according to the Howard County Fire officials. 

First responders were called to the apartment in the 11500 block of Little Patuxent Parkway around 5:45 p.m. for the smell of smoke in the building. They arrived to find smoke coming from the structure. 

Firefighters found an adult in cardiac arrest and a kitchen fire inside one of the apartment units. Despite first aid efforts, the person died on the scene, officials said. Their identification will be released after their family is notified. 

Crews said the fire took about 10 minutes to extinguish, and no firefighters were injured. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation. 

This marks the 25th fatal house fire in Maryland so far this year, according to data from the U.S. Fire Administration.

In 2025, the state recorded 24 deadly house fires, compared to 46 in 2024. 

Tuesday's incident marked Howard County's first fire-related death of 2026. Baltimore County recorded its first fire-related death of the year during the first week of January, and Anne Arundel County marked its first fire death in April.