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Fatal fire strikes home in Pr. George’s Co.

WASHINGTON — One person has died and three injured in an early morning fire Sunday in Landover, Maryland, officials said. Prince George’s County Fire Department officials said reports of a house fire in the 1500 block of Ballinger Avenue came in around 3:30 a.m. Following a string of recent fire incidents, officials said fire activity typically picks up this time of year, as people start using furnaces and space heaters.

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The Prince George’s County Fire Department offers heating safety tips when using space heaters, and other recommendations for fire prevention on their blogspot. Space Heaters

  • Buy only heaters evaluated by a nationally-recognized laboratory.
  • Always unplug your electric space heater when not in use.
  • Never use an extension cord with space heaters. Plug them directly into the wall socket.
  • Space heaters need space — keep flammable objects at least three feet away.

General Heating Tips

  • Keep combustible objects at least three feet away from fireplaces, furnaces and chimneys.
  • Have heating devices such as furnaces and fireplaces checked each year by a professional.
  • Dispose of fireplace ash in a metal container and store outdoors away from structures on a concrete surface. Fireplace ashcan ignite a fire days after disposal.
  • Make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly.

For the full list of tips, read the Prince George’s County Fire Department’s post here. Friday night an elderly man was found dead in a house fire in Oxon Hill. Officials say fire activities typically picks up this time of the year as people start using furnaces and space heaters.

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Maryland Zoo’s lone female elephant moving as facility transitions to all-male herd

The Maryland Zoo is preparing to say goodbye to its only female African elephant as it changes to an all-male herd. Felix, a 43-year-old elephant who has lived at the Baltimore zoo for 19 years, will move to another facility later this week. Zoo officials said the move is in Felix’s best interest because it will give her opportunities to socialize with other female elephants. Her interaction with other females have been limited since the zoo’s other female elephant died in 2024. “We will all miss her but having social companionship in a female herd is the best thing for Felix’s overall well-being,” Mammal Curator Erin Cantwell Grimm said.
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