Soldier Returns Home From Iraq to Die in House Fire

  WALDORF, MD ( August 9, 2008 )—A team of deputy state fire marshals and investigators with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Unit are continuing with their investigation into what sparked a fire that claimed the life of a 28-year old Waldorf man early this morning.

     The one-alarm fire in the 11000 block of Breezy Point Court was called into  Charles County 9-1-1 Center by the female occupant of the two-story wood frame home. The 8:00 a.m. blazed brought approximately forty-firefighters from several Charles County fire companies to the scene. It took firefighters approximately forty-five minutes to bring the fire under control but not before an estimated $200,000.00 in damage was done to the home.

Investigators have determined that Ceciliae Turnbull, 54 years of age and her 28-year old son, Dean Lorenzo Turnbull Jr. were inside the home at the time of the fire. Mrs. Turnbull was awakened by the smoke alarm sounding. She managed to escape the fire but her son was not able to also escape reports Deputy Fire Marshal Joe Zurollo.

His body was found by firefighters in the basement of the two-story home. There had been a partial collapse of the first floor into the basement. The body has been sent to the Chief Medical Examiners Office in Baltimore where a forensic examination to determine the cause of death will be performed.

    Dean Turnbull Jr. recently returned home after completing a tour in Iraq. There were no other injuries reported.

   Deputy State Fire Marshals believes the fire started inside a storage room in the basement of the home but the cause for the fire remains under investigation.