Three Maryland Youths Killed in Blaze Were Drunk

Three youths who perished in a house fire in Maryland last year were intoxicated, prompting state fire officials to issue a warning about a deadly combination.

In December, the three Washington County youths were spending the night with a buddy when a blaze broke out in the room where all were sleeping. Careless smoking was blamed for triggering the fire, said Allen Gosnell, deputy state fire marshal.

While he would not disclose the blood-alcohol limits, he said the drinking and smoking culminated in a deadly climax. "Bad things can happen when you combine the two. That's what we