Westminster fires kills man, 80, causes $1.5M in damage

An early morning fire Tuesday has claimed the life of an 80-year-old Carroll County man.

Firefighters found the body of Stanley J. Kundin in the basement of the wood-frame ranch home in the 3200 block of Old Washington Road In Westminster. A preliminary investigation has found that the fire likely started in Kundin's separate living quarters in a new addition to his son's home.

Family members were alerted by a smoke alarm sounding at about 1 a.m., said Deputy Fire Marshal Bruce D. Bouch. They spotted smoke coming from the area of Kundin's bedroom and called 911. Dennis and Malinda Kundin as well as their three daughters, ages 16, 19 and 21, escaped the blaze without injury but were not able to reach the victim's bedroom, investigators said.

About 60 firefighters, most of them volunteers, brought the fire under control in about 90 minutes, Bouch said. No one else was injured.

The home and its contents, including the victim's extensive stamp collection, were destroyed — a loss estimated at $1.5 million, investigators said.

Investigators remained on the scene throughout Tuesday morning and have yet to discover the cause or exact source of the fire. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of Stanley Kundin's death.

mary.gail.hare@baltsun.com