A mother and son are dead after a mobile home went up in flames in Queen Anne's County on Wednesday afternoon, according to fire and police officials.
A school bus driver was driving by the 500 block of Fox Meadow Road at about 2 p.m. and saw that a home was on fire, according to officials. A double-wide manufactured home was engulfed in flames when the Queen Anne-Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Department arrived on the scene.
It was first reported that two people were unaccounted for in the home. After firefighters extinguished the fire, they found the remains of Margarete Brown, 83, and her son, Larry Brown, 63, according to officials.
"Our hearts break for the families affected by this tragedy," said Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray in a press release. "While the cause of this fire remains under investigation, tragedies like this remind us of the importance of fire safety, especially during the winter when the risks increase."
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The cause of the fire and the cause of death are currently under investigation.
Family members told investigators that the victims purchased a kerosene heater on Tuesday to replace an older unit, according to officials. Deputy state fire marshals found seven kerosene heaters among the debris during the investigation. Whether the heaters were in use at the time is unknown at this time.
Mowbray asked residents to "remain vigilant" while keeping homes warm.
"Please check your smoke alarms, have an exit plan and practice it, and get out, stay out," Mowbray said.