UPDATE 7/5/3018 1:30 p.m.- 

CHARLES COUNTY (July 5, 2018)  – Deputy State Fire Marshals are continuing to investigate the fire that took the life of 50 year old David Eugene Cordell on July 3, 2018, at his residence on 2795 Berry Hills Road in Waldorf.  Charles County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the victim’s identification.

The Office of The Chief Medical Examiner currently has the cause of his death as “pending” as they wait on results of additional lab reports.

This is all the information available at this time.  Additional information will be released once it becomes available. 

CHARLES COUNTY (July 3, 2018)  – Deputy State Fire Marshals are conducting an origin and cause investigation of an afternoon fire that occurred in a split level structure located at 2795 Berry Hills Road in Waldorf. The property is owned by Francis Blay and Akosua Ansah Blay.  However, the house was a rental and there were two occupants currently living at the residence.

The 911 call was received at approximately 11:48 a.m. from a passerby who discovered the fire.   Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department responded to the one alarm fire with with approximately 45 fire personnel from surrounding Departments.  It took firefighters approximately 25 minutes to control the fire. The damage caused approximately $300,000 to the structure and approximately $100,000 to the contents.   Once the fire was extinguished they found a deceased adult male occupant in the residence.  Due to the amount of damage to the structure, it cannot be confirmed if the smoke alarms were working at the time of the fire.  The area of origin is in a bedroom and the cause is currently under investigation.

The victim was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.  The victim’s name is not being released at this time pending notification.

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation’s Division is assisting with the investigation.  The Red Cross is assisting the additional occupant.

This is all the information available at this time.  Additional information will be released once it becomes available.

Images courtesy of the Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department