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Cause of fire, victim IDs released in fatal Glenarden fire

By WTOP Staff

UPDATE: Saturday – 2/23/2013, 12:35pm ET

WASHINGTON – Prince George’s County Fire says a fourth victim has died.

Daijah Price, 11, died late Friday night after being transferred to Children’s National Medical Center once her pulse was restored. She was originally taken to Prince George’s Hospital Center Thursday morning.

Price’s mother and 8-year-old sister were treated at a local hospital. Prince George’s County fire officials say they have both been released.

UPDATE: Friday – 2/22/2013, 4:28pm ET

WASHINGTON – Prince George’s County Fire has released the preliminary cause of a house fire that killed three and injured three. They say the cause was electrical in nature and was accidental.

They have also released the identities of the three killed family members:

  • Darrell Terrance Price Jr., 36
  • Tania Monae Jeanita Price, 8
  • Patrice Price, 4

An 11-year-old girl is in critical condition, with officials saying her prognosis for recovery is not favorable.

A 33-year-old female and 8-year-old girl (twin sister to Tania) remain in the hospital with smoke inhalation and other minor injuries.

Officials estimate the fire caused $100,000 in damage.

EARLIER: Thursday – 2/21/2013, 4:57pm ET

GLENARDEN, Md. – There was no working smoke detector in the home where a father and two girls died in an early morning fire, investigators say.

A third child pulled from the flames is fighting for her life and two other people in the home are injured.

Volunteer firefighters pulled a man and three girls — ages 11, 8 and 4 — from the burning home in Glenarden just after 4 a.m. Thursday.

The 36-year-old father, 8 and 4-year-old girls died before arriving at the hospital, says Mark Brady, Prince George’s County Fire and EMS spokesperson.

EMS crews were able to resuscitate the 11-year-old girl.

“So far, that child is still in grave condition,” Prince George’s Fire Chief Marc Bashoor said Thursday morning.

As the fire roared on the first floor of the house, the 33-year-old mother and an 8-year-old girl, a twin, were able to jump to safety from a second floor window of the home. They were injured in the jump, but are in stable condition, responders tell WTOP.

They met firefighters in the front yard and either they or neighbors told responders there were other people trapped in home, Bashoor says.

“For at least one of the victims, they were told where to look. And they were able to go find them exactly where they were told to look. The others were from a search,” Bashoor says.

One firefighter is being treated for second-degree burns to his ears from fighting the flames. An EMS worker was transported to the hospital after slipping on ice created by the water from the fire trucks, Bashoor says.

The fire broke out in the 8600 block of Leslie Avenue in Glenarden, Md. Investigators are still looking for a cause of the fire, but say they believe it was accidental.

“I can tell you a smoke alarm would have given them an extra measure of chance I can tell you they didn’t have,” Bashoor says.

It took 75 EMS workers and firefighters from Kentland Station 833 and an additional fire task force a half hour to control the fire.

So far this year, eight people have died in a fire in Prince George’s County. There were 10 fire-related deaths in 2012, according to Bashoor.

This story has been modified to correct the ages of two of the girls and say that 75 fire and EMS workers were at the scene.

WTOP’s John Aaron and Colleen Kelleher contributed to this report. Follow @JohnAaronWTOP @WTOP on Twitter.

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

By WTOP Staff
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
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