2nd Fatal Fire Of Week Claims Female In Baltimore County: Officials

CATONSVILLE, MD — A female died Tuesday in a Catonsville house fire, officials said.

Investigators are still trying to identify the victim. The cause of the fire is also under investigation.

The fire broke out in the hundred block of Helms Pick Court around 11:22 p.m., the Baltimore County Fire Department said.

Firefighters said they found flames in a second-floor window of the single-family home.

First responders said they noticed a vehicle in the driveway and upgraded the call to a working fire with a rescue.

Crews said they entered the home, which had hoarding conditions, and found the victim in the second-floor hallway.

Firefighters said they contained the flames just after midnight.

"We have a lot of instances where they can't reach the fire because they can't get to it, just because of the obstructions," Assistant Fire Chief Marcus Johnson told WJZ.

This was the county's second fatal fire of the week. A Dundalk house fire claimed a 70-year-old woman and a dog on Monday, officials said.

"Anytime someone loses their life, it hits all of us, but especially to those loved ones," Johnson told WJZ. "So, our ultimate effort is to see how we can reduce these number of instances."

For fire prevention tips, read WJZ's full story.

This map shows the area where firefighters said the Catonsville blaze happened.