A 5-year-old boy died Saturday morning in a house fire in East Baltimore, the Fire Department said.

Firefighters went to the home, in the 1600 block of E. Oliver St., at around 10:30 a.m. and saw heavy fire and smoke, and were told that people were trapped inside.

The boy was located on the second floor, and taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

A second boy was rescued from the home, and was reported in stable condition.

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Fire officials did not immediately identify the 5-year-old, and said an autopsy would be conducted to determine a cause of death. It is not clear yet what caused the fire, which is being investigated.

At the scene, adjoining homes appeared to have been damaged, and a large pile of items from inside the home were stacked on the sidewalk. A woman could be seen consoling a young girl, and a man seen walking in and out of the home with firefighters declined to comment.

This is the second person to die in a fire this year. A 32-year-old woman died in a blaze in a vacant home in the 400 block of N. East Ave. in East Baltimore on Jan. 17.

justin.fenton@thebaltimorebanner.com

Justin Fenton is an investigative reporter for the Baltimore Banner. He previously spent 17 years at the Baltimore Sun, covering the criminal justice system. His book, "We Own This City: A True Story of Crime, Cops and Corruption," was released by Random House in 2021 and became an HBO miniseries. 

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