BEL AIR, Md. — There is little left to do, but to board it up now, but less than 24 hours earlier, plumes of smoke met firefighters as they arrived at the burning house in the 700 block of Linwood Avenue in Bel Air where an 83-year-old man safely made it out, while his wife could not.
“They immediately, heroically, entered the residence,” said Bel Air Police Chief Chuck Moore, “A lot of smoke coming from inside the house. Firemen went in there from the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company. They found a unresponsive female in the back sunroom.”
The Office of the State Fire Marshal has now joined police in the investigation, and preliminarily it appears the fire started in the kitchen of the home.
Police have identified the victim as 82-year-old Elsie-Marie Niiler, who they believe was on the second floor when the fire broke out and was overcome by smoke as she tried to make her way out.
Niiler and her husband were longtime members of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Bel Air.
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“Elsie-Marie was a very sweet person,” said John Verbillis, “She was in the choir. She was also in a group called ‘Daytimers’ where we got together once a month, mostly retired folks. She was a big part of that.”
And now, members of the church are grieving the loss of Elsie-Marie and praying for the husband she’s left behind.
“You hold on to your faith, your beliefs, your family and there’s support for you, but it’s tough,” said Verbillis, “Unfortunately, I know from my own recent experience. It’s a tough road that lies ahead.”
