Three Killed in Md. Fire, Including Young Boy

GAITHERSBURG, Md. - A fire swept through a home Monday in the Gaithersburg area, killing a 5-year-old boy and his mother and grandmother, authorities said.

The child's 13-year-old brother, who had been sleeping in the basement, was the only survivor, Montgomery County fire department spokesman Pete Piringer said. He was awakened by a smoke alarm about 4 a.m. and ran to a neighbor's home to call for help.

Firefighters found 75-year-old Paula Curiel and 5-year-old Adam Sanchez inside a bedroom of the one-story rambler. Guillermina "Gail" Curiel Garcia, 42, was found in the living room-dining room area.

The boy was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The mother and grandmother died at the scene. The teenage boy, Oscar Sanchez, escaped with minor injuries.

The blaze was so intense that firefighters initially struggled to enter the home, Fire Chief Thomas W. Carr Jr. said.

The fire appeared to have started in the living room-dining area, Piringer said. There were Christmas decorations in the room, along with a religious display that authorities believe included candles. Firefighters were examining the items to determine the cause of the blaze, Piringer said.

Damage from the fire was estimated at $250,000 to $350,000, officials said.

Thirteen people have died in residential fires this year in Montgomery County - the most in 30 years, Carr said. In 2006, four people died in fires, he said.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)