ST. MICHAELS, Md.- Authorities say a woman was burned in an early Friday morning fire that caused hundreds of thousands of dollars to a building in St. Michaels.
The Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office says the fire occurred at 4:24 a.m. at a two-story commercial/residential building on North Talbot Street. A passerby discovered the blaze and called 911. It took 52 firefighters from St. Michaels, Tilghman, Easton and Cordova about half an hour to get the fire under control.
A 32-year-old woman, who lived in a rear second-floor apartment of the building, was awakened by the smell of smoke. She escaped to safety by jumping out of a rear second-floor window. As a result, she suffered a sprained ankle and minor burns to both arms. She was taken to Easton Memorial Hospital where she was treated and released.
The fire caused more than $600,000 in damage to the building, according to investigators.
Authorities have ruled the fire as accidental. They say the woman had two oil lamps burning and one of the lamps was knocked over which ignited nearby combustible materials.
The apartment was equipped with smoke alarms but investigators have not determined if the smoke alarms were working.