ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A fire in a high-rise leaves one person dead in Annapolis. It happened at the Clairborne Place apartments on 130 Hearne Road Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities say after arriving at the scene, firefighters from the Annapolis and Anne Arundel Fire Departments reached the 10th floor of the apartment building, where they saw smoke coming from one of the apartments.
Once in the apartment, they saw 73-year-old John Wesley Blunt, who was unresponsive and later pronounced dead at the scene.
The sprinkler system in the apartment contained the fire, preventing it from spreading throughout the building.
According to the Anne Arundel Fire Department, the fire was caused "by smoking while using medical oxygen."
This is the fourth death related to fire in Anne Arundel this year.
UPDATE: High-Rise Fire on Hearn Road, Annapolis. One fatality from the fire apartment on the 10th floor. Fire Crews are still on scene. Fire Marshal Investigators are working to determine the origin & cause. Fire Inspectors are determining the safety of the building. pic.twitter.com/dfcjpYQtBr
— Anne Arundel County Fire Department (@AACoFD) April 1, 2025
Editor's Note: This article was revised with the victim's correct name, which the Fire Department originally said was John Butler.
