By Debbi Wilgoren
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 13, 2008 4:03 PM

An Anne Arundel County man was killed early this morning in a fire that destroyed his wood-frame house, authorities said.

The body of the man, who as of 8:45 a.m. had not been positively identified, was found inside the house in the 1100 block of Mace Road, in the Bay Ridge community southeast of Annapolis.

Matthew Tobia, a battalion chief with the Anne Arundel fire and ambulance department, said the two-alarm fire was reported about 1 a.m.

The house, which measured about 1,500 square feet, was completely engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, Tobia said. The economic loss was estimated at $200,000.

A total of 63 firefighters from multiple fire departments worked to extinguish the fire, Tobia said. One firefighter, from the U.S. Naval Academy fire department, sustained a minor neck injury and was taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center for treatment, Tobia said.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, Tobia said, and have not determined whether there were working smoke detectors in the house.