A young child died, and a man was critically injured following a townhouse fire in Parkville Tuesday night, according to Baltimore County Fire officials. 

Crews responded to the fire around 11 p.m. in the 100 block of Comet Court, where they found smoke coming from the first floor. 

Firefighters were told that two people were trapped in the home. During a search, the two residents were found and transported to area hospitals. 

Officials said the child, identified as 4-year-old Wyatt Martin, later died. 

Shawn Nelson, who lives next door to where the fire broke out, said he was not home when crews responded, but his nephew was trying to get the victims out.

"He was banging on the door, and then when he didn't answer the door, he tried to call him, no answer," Nelson said. "He said he tried to lift the front window up. He was going to try to go in, but he said he couldn't go in because of the smoke."

Another neighbor called the scene horrifying as first responders tried to revive the two victims.

"They were performing CPR and taking all measures to try to get her, and that was pretty tough to see," said Madison, who lives nearby. "I did find what I believe is their cat. She was hiding right next to their sliding door."

The cause of the fire remains unclear. According to fire officials, the home had working smoke detectors and a fire extinguisher. 

This was the second fire-related death recorded in Baltimore County in 2026. 

The Baltimore County Fire Department was in the neighborhood Wednesday handing out information and checking in with neighbors.

Baltimore County fires 

A few days prior, on January 4, Baltimore County recorded its first fire-related death of 2026 after a house fire nearby in Parkville. 

Officials said the fire started in the basement of a home in the 1700 block of Weston Avenue. A woman was found in cardiac arrest during the response. 

The woman, identified as 76-year-old Julia Ann Anderson, died from her injuries shortly after. 

A man also escaped from the home after the fire alarm went off, according to fire officials. He is expected to survive. 

Another dramatic rescue was caught on doorbell camera in Middle River. Neighbors rallied to help children from the second floor of a home that caught on fire Tuesday. The mother and children who were taken to the hospital are expected to survive.

Fires in Maryland

In 2025, there were 46 house fire-related deaths in Maryland, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. 

Baltimore County saw the second-most fire-related deaths in 2024, with 13, compared to 11 fire deaths in 2023, according to a report from the Maryland Fire Marshal.

According to Fire Chief Dixon, there were four fire-related deaths reported in Baltimore County in 2025.