One dead after Annapolis house fire forces occupants to jump from second floor

One person died and another was airlifted to a burn center after a house fire early Sunday in Annapolis that forced several occupants to jump from the second floor to escape, fire officials said.

The Annapolis Fire Department was dispatched around 4:40 a.m. to a Copeland Street home for a reported fire with people trapped inside. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the second floor.

The fire started in the basement and spread rapidly through the home, officials said. One occupant was found in the front yard and treated by emergency crews before being flown by Maryland State Police Aviation to a local burn center.

Firefighters later found an adult dead inside the residence.

Two firefighters suffered minor burns and were taken to a hospital for evaluation. About 55 firefighters responded, and crews brought the fire under control in about an hour.

The American Red Cross and Anne Arundel County Mobile Crisis assisted residents displaced by the fire. The Annapolis Fire and Explosive Services Unit is investigating the cause and estimated damage.