Fire that killed 3 in Easton home is ruled accidental

A fire that roared through a sprawling waterfront home on Maryland's Eastern Shore last year, killing two siblings and their friend, was started by smoking materials discarded on a rear porch and has been ruled accidental, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office. The fire occurred in the early morning hours of Aug. 18 and nearly destroyed the 6,600-square-foot home on the Miles River in Easton. Damage was estimated at $1.2 million. The owners, Matthew and Margaret Fitzgerald, were not home at the time, but the house was being used by two of their children and their friends who were celebrating a new couple who had met during a summer class camping trip in West Virginia. Margaret Rose "Maggie" Fitzgerald, president of her 2007 high school graduating class at Saints Peter and Paul High School in Easton, and her... [read full story]