A grandmother and her young grandson died when a fire tore through a home overnight in Waldorf, Maryland.
Multiple family members told News4 the victims are 68-year-old Bernice Washington and her grandson, 6-year-old Zavion Atkins.
Someone inside the home called 911 just after 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Firefighters from La Plata, Waldorf and Charles County responded to the blaze. They arrived to find heavy fire throughout the house on Poplar Hill Road.
"They encountered very heavy fire conditions throughout the entire dwelling, with a report of someone trapped. They immediately went to work," said Bill Smith, spokesperson for the Charles County Fire Department.
Four other residents safely escaped the fire. The bodies of the woman and the boy were found inside the home.
Pictures from the scene show only half of the heavily charred home still standing. It is a total loss.
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The home had a working smoke detector, fire investigators said. The cause of the fire is under investigation but is believed to be electrical.
One firefighter suffered a back injury while battling the fire. He is expected to be OK.
Devastated family members stayed closed by the scene as fire investigators worked. Relatives have set up a GoFundMe to raise money for expenses stemming from the tragedy.
Zavion was in the first grade at Malcolm School.
"The things that he'd say would just make you laugh," relative Cynthia Douglas said. You just never knew what he was going to say. I love him. I'm truly going to miss him."
