The Frederick County Sheriff's Office has ruled the deaths of two Thurmont men in a Halloween fire at their residence as an accident.

The sheriff's office, working in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, has closed the investigation of the deaths of Eric Lester Forrest and Erik Thomas Sanger, both 39, according to a press release issued Friday.

Fire and rescue units arrived at 12841B Catoctin Furnace Road, behind Dale's Place bar in Thurmont , at 3:30 a.m. and found fire consuming part of the one-story house, police said.

The men's bodies were found inside the house, police said.

The two died from smoke inhalation, said Deputy Chief State Fire Marshal Allen Gosnell.

Gosnell said officials are wrapping up their investigation into the cause of the fire, and should be able to announce the details by next week.

Michael P. Dmuchowski, spokesman for Frederick County Fire and Rescue, said the day of the fire that investigators had not found any smoke detectors in the two-bedroom house. He said the bodies were found near the bedrooms toward the back of the house.

Damage was estimated at $60,000.

-- Nicholas C. Stern

Drugs on school playground an isolated incident, authorities say

Drugs found on the playground at Centerville Elementary School appear to be an isolated case, according to Frederick County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Cpl. Jennifer Bailey.

On March 12, at about 3 p.m., a sheriff's office corporal responded to the school for a report of a vial of drugs found at the rear of the school playground. The vial contained what was later determined to be 2.1 grams of methamphetamine, Bailey said.

A student reported finding the drugs to a school staff member, and the principal contacted police, Bailey said.

She said despite calls from worried residents, the corporal found no other evidence of drugs in the area, nor were any drugs found at other county schools.

-- Nicholas C. Stern

Man charged with pushing woman into restaurant window

A Frederick man was arrested and charged March 8 with pushing a woman into the front window of The Tasting Room restaurant in the 100 block of North Market Street, according to the Frederick Police Department.

Police responded to a call for disorderly conduct at 3:21 a.m. in front of the restaurant, said Frederick police spokesman Lt. Clark Pennington.

An investigation revealed that Dillon Chambers, 23, became involved in an argument with a woman that turned physical, Pennington said.

Chambers pushed the woman into the window, which caused it to break, police said.

The woman suffered a minor cut to her hand, Pennington said.

Chambers was charged with malicious destruction of property and second-degree assault, according to court records.

Pennington said the estimated value of the window was about $800.

-- Nicholas C. Stern

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