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Cumberland Woman Succumbs to Burn Injuries

March 27th, 2018 by WCBC Radio

A Cumberland woman has succumbed due to complications of burn injuries she sustained from an apartment fire earlier this month. Roberta L. Barb (age 82) died early this morning at Johns Hopkins – Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore. Barb had been treated for 2nd and 3rd degree burns to her body

    The injuries were the result of a fire which occurred on March 8, 2018 shortly after 9 p.m. at Cumberland Arms Apartments located at 10 North Liberty Street, a six-story, 69-unit apartment building. A sprinkler is credited with containing the fire to Mrs. Barb and her husbands apartment. The fire was discovered after the buildings fire alarm system activated. Mr. Barb had left the apartment earlier to get dinner, leaving his wife, who was unable to walk due to a medical condition, in the apartment alone.  As Mr. Barb returned, he discovered the fire alarm activating within the building and became aware the fire was within his apartment. Mr. Barb was able to rescue his wife and carry her to the safety of the hallway where Cumberland Fire Department firefighters met both of them. Mrs. Barb was initially transported to Western Maryland Regional Medical Center and later transferred to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. 

     A joint origin and cause investigation by Cumberland Fire Department and the Office of the State Fire Marshal determined an electric blanket failed; subsequently igniting Barbs clothing and the reclining chair she was sitting in.  While several floors under the involved apartment sustained water damage, investigators credit the sprinkler system for containing the fire to the chair, minimizing damages to less than $5,000.00. 

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