8501 Veterans Highway Millersville, MD 21108
Phone (410) 222-8200

 County Executive Steuart Pittman
Fire Chief Trisha L. Wolford
-NEWS RELEASE-
November 6, 2023

Contact: Captain Jenny Macallair
Office of Public Information
410-222-8305 (Office)
410-222-8746 (Media Line)
UPDATE Residential Structure Fire: Churchton, MD
Arson - Suspect Charged with Attempted Murder
 
Date: Saturday, October 24, 2023
Time: 5:47 am
Location/Address: 5613 Carroll Street, Churchton MD 20733
Type of Incident: Residential Structure Fire - Arson
Description of Structure/Property: 1-story residential home.
Injuries or Deaths: - 1 adult female was taken to Bayview in serious but non-life-threatening condition for burns.
Estimated Dollar Loss: $200,000
Smoke Alarm Status: Unknown
Assisting Fire Departments: Annapolis Fire Department, Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department, Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department.
Other Agencies: Anne Arundel County Police Department 
Number of Alarms: Working Fire Dispatch, 1 Alarm
Number of Responding Firefighters: 62 
Time to Control: 30 minutes 
Discovered By: Resident 
Area of Origin: Hallway outside bedrooms
Preliminary Cause: Incendiary/intentionally set fire.

On October 24, 2023, at approximately 0547 hours, Anne Arundel County Fire units were dispatched to a fire at 5613 Carroll St, Churchton, MD. The homeowner/occupant called 911 and advised that her adult daughter had set fire to her home. The 911 caller stated she was able to get out of the house but was unsure where her daughter was. Fire Department Units arrived to find the 911 caller in the front yard. The caller had escaped the fire through a bedroom window and was transported to a local burn center in serious but not life-threatening condition. 

AACo Police and AACo Fire Investigators were able to detain and identify the suspect on the scene, where she was transported to AAMC for an emergency evaluation and admitted to the hospital. The suspect was identified as Laurie Ann Canavan, DOB 10/18/72 (Daughter of the victim). AACo Fire Investigators were able to determine the cause of the fire to be an intentional set with the area of origin in the hallway near the bedrooms.

Anne Arundel County Fire Investigators filled for an Application of Charges on October 24, 2023, and a warrant was subsequently issued for the following charges: Attempted Murder 1st degree, Attempted Murder 2nd degree, Arson 1st Degree, Arson 2nd Degree, Assualt 1st degree, Assult 2nd degree and False Imprisonment. On Nov 2, 2023, Laurie Ann Canavan was arrested and charged. She is currently being held at the AACo Detention Center without bond. 

Media Requests After-hours, Weekends & Holidays

The Public Information Officer can be reached on the Media Line at 410-222-8746 (8PIO) or by email at fdmedia-line@aacounty.org. The Media Phone Line is a landline that forwards your call to the cell phone of the PIO and will not accept text messages or display your caller ID. When you call the Media Line, you MUST leave your name and phone number to receive a return call. 

Please leave the nature of your request on the voicemail so the PIO can have that information ready for you on their return phone call. After 3 p.m. on weekdays, weekends, and holidays, this service is available only for active emergencies ("breaking news"), including incidents with serious injuries, active fires, or active special operations responses. The PIOs don't have access to fire statistics or incident updates during these times.. Those inquiries may be made Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.
If you have any information regarding fires or explosive incidents, please call (410)222-TIPS or use this form to submit a report of any fire or explosive incident information. You may remain anonymous using either reporting method.