A house fire that claimed the life of a 48-year-old Lansdowne man Christmas night was caused by careless smoking, a Baltimore County fire official said yesterday.

The fire broke out shortly before 9:30 p.m. in the 3700 block of Pansy Ave. in the Lansdowne area. Fire Capt. Jim Korn identified the victim as Clarence Downes III, who lived in the three-story frame house with his wife and 15-year-old son.

His wife and son escaped the two-alarm fire. The family were the only occupants of the house.

The woman told firefighters that her husband was trapped inside the building, near the 3700 block of Annapolis Road. Korn said investigators later found smoking material in the first-floor living room.

Downes, who was known as "Buddy" to his co-workers at the Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks, worked at the city agency for nearly 30 years, according to Nathaniel Massaquoi, a department spokesman.

Downes worked his way up from a position as a tree climber to being third in command of the forestry division of the Bureau of Parks, Massaquoi said. Downes had recently returned to work after being out on medical leave for a short time.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Buddy," said Kimberley Amprey, interim director of the Department of Recreation and Parks. "He was more than a loyal and productive employee of 30 years. He was a gentle soul who touched the lives of all he encountered with his human and warm personality."

The fire caused more than $400,000 in damage to the house and its contents, Korn said.