Deputy state fire marshals are investigating a house fire in St. Mary’s County that left a man dead after officials say he reentered his burning home to find his 10-year-old child on Sunday night.

Firefighters from the Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department and several surrounding departments were dispatched to the 22800 block of Thornbury Drive in Hollywood around 9:40 p.m. after a report of a house fire with a child trapped inside, according to a news release from Maryland’s Office of the State Fire Marshal.

When firefighters arrived, the two-story single-family home was engulfed in flames and officials believed the man had reentered the house to rescue the child, according to the release. Crews extinguished the fire and found the man dead on the second floor.

Investigators later determined that the child had escaped safely. They also confirmed that the man who died was the child’s father and the homeowner.

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The man was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which will officially identify him and determine the cause of death. His identity will be released after his next of kin have been notified, the medical examiner’s office said.

Deputy state fire marshals are investigating whether the fire was caused by improper disposal of fireworks. The family is believed to have been using ground-based sparkler fireworks earlier in the evening that were later thrown into a trash can on a screened-in rear deck, according to the news release. Fire officials are trying to determine whether the spent fireworks could have ignited flammable items in the trash can.

Even if a firework appears to be extinguished, it can retain heat for a long time, which poses a fire risk. Authorities warn that spent fireworks should always be soaked in water, then placed in a metal or other noncombustible container outside to cool completely before being thrown out.