By Debbi Wilgoren
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 6, 2008 8:14 AM

One person was killed in a Bethesda house fire early this morning, but an elderly couple managed to escape the burning building, officials said.

The name of the person who died was not available as of 6:45 a.m., a Montgomery County fire department spokesman said. Firefighters found the person's lifeless body on the top floor of the two-story house, located in the 5900 block of Rolston Road near Ayrlawn Park and Suburban Hospital.

Fire officials said the elderly couple was near the entrance to the house when firefighters arrived to battle the blaze shortly before 2 a.m.

The couple was safely evacuated, and taken to a hospital emergency room for evaluation.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, the spokesman said.