Husband, wife dead after fire engulfs house in Harford County

An early morning house fire in Havre de Grace claimed the lives of an elderly couple on Wednesday. Firefighters found two victims in a second-floor bedroom after arriving to find a house completely engulfed in flames on Erie Street around 1:15 a.m. The homeowners who died in the fire have been identified as a 73-year-old man and his 85-year-old wife. Officials say the couple's son escaped after waking to the sound of a smoke alarm, kicking out the window of his second-floor bedroom and jumping to safety. He was not injured. "Our hearts break for the victims and their loved ones," said Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray. "In this case, a working smoke alarm alerted the surviving occupant and gave him the critical seconds needed to escape. Tragically, two others were unable to escape." "This heartbreaking incident reminds us that while smoke alarms save lives, every second counts in a fire. We urge everyone to make sure smoke alarms are working and to have and practice a home escape plan." The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but officials say it originated in the first-floor living room.