Crime & Safety
67-Year-Old Silver Spring Woman Dies After Kitchen Fire
The woman is the first fire fatality of 2013 in Montgomery County, according to fire officials.
A 67-year-old Silver Spring woman died Saturday, Feb. 9 from injuries caused when her clothing caught fire Feb. 7. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue reports that Katherine Elizabeth McNeal, of the 8500 block of 11th Avenue, was the first person in the county to die from a fire this year.
Fire crews arrived at McNeal's residence at 10:45 a.m. last Thursday with the report of a kitchen fire and one person burned, according to a press release from fire officials. McNeal was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition and the fire was quickly extinguished.
Fire officials said that investigators determined that the woman's clothing was ignited by a stove burner while she was cooking. After hearing her scream, McNeal's son tried to help her smother the flames and was also burned, though his injuries were minor, according to fire and rescue.
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The fire caused an estimated $500 in damages, fire officials report.
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