Skip to main content

Second victim dies in deadly Capitol Heights fire

UPDATE (8/9/2012, 5:19 p.m.):

WASHINGTON – A second victim has died from injuries sustained in a Capitol Heights house fire that occurred Wednesday.

Prince George’s County Fire Spokesman Mark Brady says in a news release that Ricky Cole, 15, was pronounced dead about 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

He had been hospitalized at the Medstar Washington Hospital Center Burn Unit.

The 24-year-old male remains in critical condition.

Michelle Basch, wtop.com

CAPITOL HEIGHTS, Md. (EARLIER: 8/9/2012, 12:33 p.m.) – A fire that raced through a Capitol Heights duplex killing a 5-year-old girl and critically injuring two others has been ruled accidental.

Prince George’s County Fire and EMS spokesman Mark Brady says an overloaded electrical circuit in the living room caused the electrical fire that killed Jade Buffaloe.

The fire also caused $150,000 in damage to the home and displaced the family living there. The adjoining duplex did not sustain any damage.

The fire started Wednesday afternoon in the 6300 block of Carrington Court in a two-story duplex.

The surviving victims — her 24-year-old father and a 15-year-old uncle — remain in critical condition.

Neighbor Janette Gibson says she spotted the flames as she was leaving her house.

“I had walked outside to go to the store, and fire was coming from the side of the house. So I started screaming, ‘Help!’,” she says.

Those screams caught the attention of another neighbor who called the fire department around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Gibson says she was friendly with the kids who lived in the burned-out half of the duplex.

“They come out and say ‘Hi’ to me in the evening, the children,” Gibson says. “All of them. Even that little baby girl.”

Gibson says she often saw Buffaloe riding her bicycle around the neighborhood, and when her grandchildren visit her, she let them play with the neighbor children.

When firefighters arrived at the scene, they found a 24-year-old man had made it out of the house on his own.

Fire crews used ladders to rescue the 5-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy from the second floor of the house.

The father told firefighters the alarms in his house worked and alerted him to the blaze. The department issued new detectors to area residents who asked for one. They will last for the next 10 years.

Both children were unconscious and not breathing when first rescued, and were given CPR on the way to the hospital.

A fourth person who showed up at the scene later collapsed from emotion and was taken to a hospital as a precaution.

Brady estimates about 60 firefighters and paramedics responded to the scene.

WTOP’s Michelle Basch contributed to this report. Follow Michelle and WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story