A man who was injured in a house fire in Takoma Park on Wednesday has died.

Continue reading

Walter Rave, 66, of 29 Holt Place, died Saturday morning, according to Montgomery County Fire Chief Graham.

The fire occurred Wednesday. Officials arrived to find a large two-story wood frame house with heavy fire, according to a news release.

Firefighters had difficulty in extinguishing the fire due to large amounts of personal belongings inside. In addition, all exits other than the front door were either blocked by security bars or bamboo outside.

Rave had to escape by passing through heavy fire on the front porch, the release said. As a result, he suffered extensive burns to his body.

Investigations revealed the fire originated in the engine compartment of a Toyota pick-up truck parked in the driveway. Heat from the fire ignited either the nearby porch railing or ordinary combustibles on the porch, the release said.

The fire, which has been ruled accidental, caused about $300,000 damage to the structure and $100,000 to the contents.