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<h1>Candles left burning in home set blaze that destroyed it, say investigators</h1>
<p>LA PLATA, MD. &#8212; Two LaPlata Volunteer firefighters were injured when they fell through the house from the second floor while fighting the fire.</p>
<p>The Maryland State Fire Marshal reports that a neighbor noticed smoke coming from 118 Mallard Lane and called &#8220;911&#8221;. At 1:11 am on Oct. 28, 2014.</p>
<p>Responding fire departments discovered the rear of the house to be engulfed in flames. Fifty-five (55) firefighters from the surrounding areas responded and were able to extinguish the fire.</p>
<p>The cause of the fire has been determined to be the result of an unattended candle igniting nearby combustible materials. There was no one home at the time of the fire.</p>
<p>The fire caused an estimated $175,000 loss to the structure and $75,000 in contents, according to Deputy Fire Marshals D. Brenneman, J. Nelson and D. Svites.</p>
<p>Responding to the fire were La Plata, Waldorf, Bel Alton, Marbury, Bryans Road, Newburg, Indian Head and Potomac Heights Volunteer Fire Departments.</p>
<p>The owner of the home was Dedra Delapaz.</p>
<p><strong><em>From ABC7 News:</em></strong></p>
<p>LA PLATA, Md. (WJLA) &#8211; Two firefighters were injured battling a house fire in Charles County Tuesday morning.</p>
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<figure style="width: 296px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="border" src="http://images.wjla.com/communities/la_plata_house_fire_102814_abc7_296.jpg" alt="" width="296" height="197" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Two of the 54 firefighters who battled the house fire in La Plata Tuesday morning. (Photo: WJLA)</figcaption></figure>
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<dd>Two of the 54 firefighters who battled the house fire in La Plata Tuesday morning. (Photo: WJLA)</dd>
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<p id="continue">The family escaped with no injuries, but the home in La Plata was destroyed.</p>
<figure id="attachment_6508" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-6508" style="width: 720px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Mallard-Lane-LaPlata-fire-2-firefighters-injured.-LaPlata-VFD-photo-Facebook.jpg"><img class="wp-image-6508 size-full" src="https://www.the-chesapeake.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Mallard-Lane-LaPlata-fire-2-firefighters-injured.-LaPlata-VFD-photo-Facebook.jpg" alt="Mallard Lane LaPlata fire 2 firefighters injured. LaPlata VFD photo Facebook" width="720" height="405" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-6508" class="wp-caption-text">10/28/2014: Early morning house fire at 118 Mallard Lane. Crews found fire on both floors and in the attic. Two of our firefighters fell through the 2nd floor and maydays were called. Both were transported to the hospital and have been released. Mallard Lane LaPlata fire 2 firefighters injured. LaPlata VFD photo Facebook.</figcaption></figure>
<p> ;</p>
<p>It was a major house fire that jolted some residents out of bed on Mallard Lane. For others it was a loud knock at the door. The home of the new family in the neighborhood was on fire.</p>
<p>Around 7:15 a.m. the Charles County Volunteer Fire Department got a call about the house fire in La Plata. Fifty-four firefighters fought the blaze for an hour as it quickly consumed the home.</p>
<p>Linda Watson, a neighbor, rushed out of her home just as the fire spread from the kitchen to the rest of the house. That&#8217;s when she thought the worst</p>
<p>&#8220;My daughter said that someone was alerting us that the house next door to us was on fire,&#8221; Watson says. &#8220;I caught myself alerting the crews that there were people inside of the house but I didn&#8217;t know if they were there or not.&#8221;</p>
<p>The husband, wife, and two children weren&#8217;t inside. The husband was too upset to talk on camera but tells ABC7 that he was brewing coffee before going to work and doesn&#8217;t know if that may have started the fire. The cause is under investigation.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m still kind of jittery myself knowing how close it was,&#8221; Watson says. &#8220;I&#8217;m glad that no one was in the house.&#8221;</p>
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"I'm still kind of jittery myself knowing how close it was," Watson says. "I'm glad that no one was in the house."
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"I'm still kind of jittery myself knowing how close it was," Watson says. "I'm glad that no one was in the house."
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Cause of fire laid to candles left burning; LaPlata VFD firefighters injured battling house fire – photo ABC 7 NewsChopper
LaPlata House fire where two firefighters were injured. Photo courtesy of WJLA news chopper 7