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Modified 30-Oct-19
Created 22-Jul-19
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Around noon on July 16, 2019 Baltimore County Dispatch started receiving 911 calls reporting an explosion and odor of gas in the Highland Village Apartments on Twin Circle Way in the Baltimore Highlands. Fire Box 37-03 was dispatched and Volunteer units from English Consul and Lansdowne arrived reporting heavy fire on the second floor in the front and rear of an apartment building. Dispatch upgraded the box to a HazMat incident due to the initial report of gas. Because of the possibility of a collapse units were advised to fight the fire from the exterior. BGE was called to the scene and determined that there was no gas leak involved. The bulk of the fire was knocked down within 20 minutes and crews were then able to enter the apartments to search for victims and extension on both sides.
On arrival a 29 year-old man was taken from the scene with severe burns and transported to Johns Hopkins Bayview Burn Center. It was later determined that he was a worker in the apartment refinishing an upstairs bathtub. He was using chemicals that apparently ignited causing the explosion that blew out the front and rear walls of the building and started the fire. His condition was later downgraded from a Priority 1 to a Priority 2.
The family of four in the apartment managed to escape with no injuries although they were shaken up. Damage to their apartment was severe. Three other adjacent units suffered less severe damage.
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