Homeless Man Injured in Maryland Building Blaze

August 29, 2008

Fire investigators say a homeless man has been taken to a hospital for treatment of burns and smoke inhalation following a fire at what was supposed to be a vacant building in Elkton, Md.

Deputy state fire marshal Joe Zurolo says the man was found unresponsive inside the burning three-story building. He was flown to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center burn unit.

Zurolo says the fire was discovered at 2:25 a.m. by local police on patrol in the 200 block of South Bridge Street.

He says the building was a former halfway house but was vacant for several years. Zurolo estimated damage to the building at $80,000.

The fire was controlled in 30 minutes. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.