Man killed in Bay Ridge area fire

1,500-square-foot home destroyed on Mace Road

By HEATHER RAWLYK and ELISABETH HULETTE Staff Writers

Published 10/13/08

A man was killed early this morning in a blaze that engulfed a water-view home near Bay Ridge.

Glenn A. Miller — For The Capital County firefighters battle an early morning blaze on Mace Road in Annapolis Cove. The fire, that broke out at about 1 a.m. Monday, killed a man and destroyed the home. Fire investigators were still on the scene this morning trying to determine a cause.

Family and neighbors said Kendall R. Brown, 42, was found dead inside the charred home in the 1100 block of Mace Road.

Firefighters were called to the 1,500-square-foot, single-family home at just after 1 a.m. said Battalion Chief Matthew Tobia, a county Fire Department spokesman.

When crews arrived, they found flames shooting from the wood-frame home. Neighbors said flames could be seen as high as 30 feet in the air.

Firefighters quickly called for a second-alarm, bringing 63 firefighters to fight the blaze, Chief Tobia said.

Because there are no fire hydrants in the Bay Ridge, firefighters filled tankers from hydrants 2 miles away and brought the water into the community, he said.

The fire was under control at 2:18 a.m.

Mr. Brown, a custodian at Mayo Elementary School in Edgewater, was found inside the home and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Also, a 36-year-old firefighter with the Naval Academy Fire Department injured his neck battling the blaze and was taken by ambulance to Anne Arundel Medical Center in Parole for evaluation.

Fire investigators remained at the scene this morning, digging through charred debris to determine what ignited the flames. Following protocol for all serious fires, an accelerant-sniffing dog was brought to the home this morning, Chief Tobia said. Damages are estimated to be $200,000 and the home is a total loss.

Mr. Brown is the third person killed in a fire in Anne Arundel this year.

Neighbors said he had lived in the home, which belonged to his uncle Charles Brown, for years. His uncle, who lives in Landham, would occasionally visit on weekends.

"He lived there alone, in a sense," said neighbor, Joel Thomas.

Mr. Thomas said his wife woke him up shortly after 1 a.m. and told him to look out the window.

"The northwest side of the house was fully engulfed in flames at that point," he said. "I went outside and told my wife to call 911. I went outside to see if there was anything I could do. I hadn't seen any of Charles' cars, but his nephew lived there."

Mr. Thomas walked round the east side of the burning home looking for Kendall Brown's vehicle.

"I guess the smoke was too thick because I didn't see his truck, which was sitting there," Mr. Thomas said.

He said a ball of bright orange fire was coming through the roof and it would have been too dangerous to go inside.

"It took the whole house," Mr. Thomas said. "It moved all the way down the house from the north or west end to the east end and eventually took out everything. There's only part of it standing."

Andrew Mitchell, who lives on nearby Clarendon Court, said he could see flames 30 feet in the air just before 1 a.m.

He said the power lines were popping and sparking, and the fire melted a plastic fence down the road.

All the neighbors came outside to see what was going on, he said.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas called Charles Brown to tell him what happened. Mr. Brown arrived at the Bay Ridge home about 2 a.m., they said.

"He's been out there with his sister and other family since," Mr. Thomas said this morning.

Firefighters brought Mr. Brown's blackened wallet out of the home and gave it to Charles Brown, Mr. Thomas said

He said he was upset to hear of Kendall Brown's death.

"He was one hell of a nice guy," he said. "He helped me with things and I helped him. He was always friendly. We'd chat and have a beer occasionally. I'm just really bummed out by this whole thing. He was just a plain nice person."

Herman Murray, a neighbor and sous chef for O'Briens Oyster Bar and Restaurant in downtown Annapolis, said he had attended Bates Middle School with Mr. Brown. He said Mr. Brown had two sons, "played all kinds of sports" and enjoyed hunting and fishing.

"He was just a good friend," he said. "He's one of those types of friends who'd do anything for you. How could this happen? It's hard to believe. It's a hard pill to swallow."

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K. Brown - October 18, 2008

My prayers are with you and the family. KB was a fun person to be around, he was a great person that will be missed.