Anne Arundel County Fire Department officials have identified the victim in Sunday's fatal fire in Edgewater as John B. Sorrell, 63, the owner and sole resident of the house. He was a lawyer, according to court records.
Investigators believe the blaze Sunday afternoon originated in the master bedroom suite on the second-floor of the two-story house in the 800 block of Bayview Drive, Lt. Frank Fennell said Tuesday. They were still trying to determine the cause and find out if smoke detectors were working.
A preliminary damage estimate was about $105,000 for the house and contents, Fennell said.
The house is in one of many sections of the county that is not serviced by hydrants. Firefighters had to truck in water in tankers, but Fennell said they had a "good supply of water" to fight the blaze. The fire was brought under control in about 25 minutes.