63-year-old woman killed in Anne Arundel County's first deadly fire of 2026
A 63-year-old woman died in a house fire Tuesday night in Pasadena, Maryland, according to Anne Arundel County Fire officials.
Crews received a call from one of the caretakers who said the home was on fire in the 300 block of Magothy Beach Road around 10:50 p.m. Tuesday.
Firefighters arrived at the scene to find fire coming from the front of the house. Residents told crews that a person was trapped inside.
Crews went inside and found a woman, identified as Cindy Hill, near the front of the home. She was pronounced dead on the scene, fire officials said.
"We did make it there within three minutes. The fire had already progressed to where there was fire at the front and side of the house," said Anne Arundel County Lt. Matthew Marsiglia.
The fire was extinguished in about 30 minutes. Officials said three live-in caregivers were also at the home during the fire.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, though officials said they believe it was accidental. They said there were working smoke detectors in the home, which alerted the residents to the fire.
This was the first fire-related death recorded in Anne Arundel County in 2026.
"We never want anyone to be hurt or injured; that's our job to keep people safe, so when we have a fatality like this, it is disappointing, and that's why we take these times to push people to make sure they check their smoke detectors," Marsiglia said.
Deadly fires in Maryland in 2026
According to data from the U.S. Fire Administration, a total of 11 deadly house fires have been recorded across the state of Maryland so far this year.
Baltimore County recorded its first fire-related death of the year on Jan. 4 after a house fire in Parkville left 76-year-old Julia Ann Anderson dead. A man suffered life-threatening injuries after escaping. The fire started in the basement of the home.
Baltimore City saw its first fire-related death of 2026 on Jan. 27 after a 65-year-old man died in a rowhome fire.
