A fire that broke out Friday morning in a residential Howard County neighborhood claimed the life of the home's lone occupant.

According to neighbors, the fire began about 5 a.m. at the home of Wan Soo Hong in the 7200 block of Riding Hood Circle in Columbia.

As flames shot out of windows from the second floor and attic of the Victorian-style home that overlooks Lake Elkhorn, neighbors of Hong said they broke windows in order to get into the home. Some did, rescuing his two dogs, but they were forced out of the home as flames filled the staircase. The fire was under control about 6:30 a.m., Howard County police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn said.

Because there was a fatality, police and fire officials were investigating whether foul play was involved. Llewellyn said that they would not release the victim's identity until his family was notified.

Police had scheduled an 11 a.m. news conference to provide details of the fire.

Susan Defibaugh, who has lived in the Owen Brown neighborhood for 11 years, said that Hong, who lived alone, was a "wonderful neighbor."

Neighbors said that Hong had a bamboo field behind his home and often used the trees to help children in the neighborhood build forts. He was retired, Defibaugh said, after working for Rhee Foods, a Korean-owned food distributor. Hong was often seen walking around the lake with his dogs.

The Howard County Council is considering an updated building code that would require every new home to have sprinklers starting Jan. 1, 2011. That has been county law for townhouses since 1992, but this change, heavily backed by firefighter groups, would extend the requirement to single-family detached homes.

County builders oppose the move.