ODENTON, Md. — An 83-year-old woman is dead and an 84-year-old woman is injured after an accidental cooking fire broke out inside of a senior housing village apartment.
Thursday afternoon, firefighters were called to the Catholic Charities Senior Housing at Friendship Village on Odenton Road for a reported fire. When they arrived at the fire they saw 83-year-old Betty Lee Farley with critical burn injuries in a second-floor apartment, but no active fire.
Farley was taken by Maryland State Police helicopter to the Burn Center at Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital with critical, life-threatening injures. Officials say she died just before midnight from thermal injuries.
Fire investigators say Farley was cooking on the stove top when she turned to empty her trash can and her clothing came in contact with the electric burner and ignited. She was reportedly trying to extinguish herself and came out into the hallway where other residents came to help.
The other woman, who has not been identified, has minor injuries due to smoke inhalation after helping Farley.
Farley is now the second fire death in Anne Arundel County this year. On January 30, 37-year-old George Christopher Kouimanis died as a result of an accidental fire at his home at 415 Wellham Avenue in Glen Burnie.
