Leslie A. Thornburg caught fire in backyard of her home

by Tripp Laino

Staff Writer

The Mount Airy woman who was badly burned last week in her backyard has died.

According to Cpl. Jennifer Bailey, spokeswoman for the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, Leslie A. Thornburg, 57, died as a result of her injuries while being treated at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore.

Thornburg sustained significant burns at her home on South Warfield Drive in Mount Airy shortly before 3:30 p.m. Nov. 8 when she caught fire in her backyard.

The cause of the fire still is unknown, but gasoline was involved, Bailey said.

“It is a single-family, rancher-style house with an attached garage,” she said. “It started in the backyard. We don’t know the cause or why it was started. It started with gasoline.”

A man who answered the phone at Thornburg’s listed number declined comment.

Bailey said Thornburg ran into the house after she caught fire to look for help, and left smaller fires in the path behind her.

“Pieces of material are falling off of her burning, causing small fires, first in the garage, then the home,” she said. “She entered through a hallway and then a living area. There were small fires in the hallway in living area and hallway. The damage to the house was minimal. The fires were very small.”

Bailey said the damage to the home is estimated at $500.

Thornburg’s 84-year-old father, who also lives in the home, sustained a minor burn to his right hand as he put out the fire and was transported by ambulance to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. He was treated and later released, Bailey said.

Deputy State Fire Marshal Matthew Wrenn is leading the investigation. Anyone with any information about the incident should contact Wrenn at 301-600-2908.

tlaino@gazette.net