The child was later confirmed to have safely escaped the home. Investigators are looking into whether discarded fireworks started the fire.
Firefighters arrived at the burning house around 9:40 p.m. on July 5 on Thornbury Drive in Hollywood, Maryland, after reports that a child was believed to be trapped inside, according to the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal.
Crews from the Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department and nearby agencies found heavy flames throughout the two-story home.
The child's father went back inside to search for the child, fearing that the child was still in the house, according to the fire marshal’s early reports. After firefighters put out the fire, they found the father had died on the second floor, the state fire marshal's office said.
Investigators said the 10-year-old child had escaped the home safely.
“When we came out, you could just see the flames through the trees,” neighbor Jacqui Grantland told WRC-TV.
“We were worried because there’s so much forest out here that the forest would engulf. It was just like nothing you’d had seen before,” Grantland said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, with preliminary information indicating the family used sparkler fireworks earlier Sunday evening and then discarded the spent fireworks into a trash can on the home’s screened-in rear deck.
The fire marshals are looking into whether the fireworks stayed hot enough to start a fire in the trash can.
The volunteer fire department said that units operated on scene for about four hours, with a total of 22 personnel responding to the scene.
"Our hearts are with this family as they face an unimaginable loss," Acting State Fire Marshal Jason Mowbray said.
"As we continue our investigation, we want everyone to remember that fireworks don't stop posing a risk when the show is over. Taking a few extra minutes to soak and properly dispose of used fireworks and sparklers can help prevent a tragedy like this,” he said.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal warned that fireworks can remain hot enough to start a fire long after they appear to be out.
“Spent fireworks and sparklers should always be thoroughly soaked in water, then placed in a metal or other noncombustible container outdoors to cool completely before disposing,” the fire marshal said.