fire

‘Nothing But God': Woman Whose Odenton Home Was Destroyed Rescued Aunt From Burning Townhouse

The blaze spread to a second townhome, displacing residents in two homes

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A fire gutted a townhome in Odenton, Maryland, Thursday, leaving one person in critical condition and two homes unsafe to occupy, the Anne Arundel County Fire Department says.

The blaze erupted at a townhome at the end of a row of homes on St. Michaels Circle, near the main gate for Fort Meade. Firefighters, summoned by a 911 call from neighbors, responded about 2:30 a.m., officials said.

"I woke up about 1:45 [a.m.] to an ember-y glow outside of my bedroom door," said Tyran Foster-Louis. The glow, caused by the massive fire, burned most of her belongings.

But despite the damage to her home, Foster-Louis had only one thought: rescuing her partially paralyzed aunt, who was sleeping upstairs.

"I didn't think about anything else," Foster-Louis said. "The priority was to get her out of the house. And we did. And I can say that it was nothing but God."

Paramedics arrived at the scene just as they escaped the building.

Foster-Louis's aunt was taken to a burn unit in critical condition.

"Right now it's kind of touch-and-go," Foster-Louis said. "I'm a God-fearing woman, and I know that God is in control."

The fire burned away the roof and the back of the townhome was black and charred by the time firefighters extinguished the bulk of the blaze, video shows. Firefighters continued dousing hot spots with water three hours after arriving on the scene.

A fire gutted a townhome in Odenton, Maryland, Thursday, leaving one person in critical condition and two homes unsafe to occupy, the Anne Arundel County Fire Department says.

The flames, fanned by blustery winds, quickly spread to a unit next door, causing further damage.

"It was far into the sky for quite a long time," said Sammona Watts, another resident nearby. "I kept looking out to see if they could get it under control."

Residents in both units are displaced. Foster-Louis's home, all the way on the end of the row, was completely gutted.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Stay with News4 for more on this developing story.

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