Police identify woman who died after Chevy Chase house fire 

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April 6, 2026 3:27 p.m.

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Montgomery County police identified Karen Elsa Carstens, 55, as the woman who died after suffering life-threatening injuries in a fire Friday morning at a Chevy Chase home, the department said Monday in a statement. 

The blaze marked the first fatal fire of the year, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) spokesperson Pete Piringer told Bethesda Today on Monday. 

Police said the department is investigating Carstens’ death, though no foul play is suspected following the fire in the 4700 block of Merivale Road. A man was also transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.  

Officials believe the man and woman were siblings who lived together and initially evacuated the home when they discovered the blaze, Piringer said Friday. It is likely that unbeknownst to her brother, the woman reentered the home to try to rescue their cat and got overcome by smoke, he said. 

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According to police, officers and MCFRS crews were dispatched to the home at about 5:45 a.m. on Friday. 

MCFRS crews found Carstens inside the home, police said. Firefighters were able to extricate her from the home and attempted life-saving measures, but she later died.  

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine