15-year-old girl dead, two hospitalized after house fire in Howard County

BALTIMORE - A house fire in Howard County left a 15-year-old girl dead, and two others hospitalized Wednesday evening. 

The fire happened at a townhome in the 11500 block of Shell Flower Lane in Columbia.

Firefighters responded to the fire with a report of someone trapped inside. Crews found the fire coming from the second floor of the home.

During a search, firefighters found 15-year-old Katie Chase dead. Two others were taken to the hospital for evaluation.

The fire was contained in 20 minutes, officials said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but investigators have determined that the fire was accidental.