Maryland woman dies days after house fire; teen remains hospitalized

A Maryland woman died days after a house fire in Hagerstown, according to the state Fire Marshal's Office. A 17-year-old remains hospitalized due to the fire. 

Firefighters responded to 145 S. Prospect Street on Friday, March 13, around 1 a.m. for the house fire. 

Once on the scene, crews found heavy flames coming from the first floor. 

Investigators determined that a 15-year-old was able to escape from the home when the fire alarm went off. 

A 17-year-old and 50-year-old Monae Williams-Lee were rescued from the home and taken to hospitals for treatment. 

Williams-Lee died on Tuesday from her injuries, officials said.

Fire officials determined that the fire was started by an electrical failure that has not yet been identified. 

"In this case, a working smoke alarm alerted the other occupant and gave him the critical seconds needed to escape, while two others were rescued by brave members of the Hagerstown Fire Department," said Acting Fire Marshal Jason Mowbray. "This heartbreaking incident reminds us that while smoke alarms save lives, every second counts in a fire."

According to fire officials, this was the first fatality recorded in Washington County in 2026. In 2025, the county recorded one fire death after a Hagerstown man died during a house fire on Chimeny Stone Court in November 2025. 

Data from the U.S. Fire Administration shows there were 46 fire-related deaths in Maryland in 2025. In 2024, the state recorded 45 fire deaths. 

So far this year, nine fire deaths have been reported in the state, data shows. 

Baltimore County recorded its first fire-related death of the year on Jan. 4, after a 76-year-old died during a house fire in Parkville.

Baltimore City saw its first fire-related death in January after a 65-year-old man was killed in a rowhome fire in West Baltimore.