Home»BALTIMORE CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT»INCIDENTS»2017 Fires and Incidents»1-Alarm Brand Ave. & Cold Spring La. 7-4-17

Just after 0830 hours on the morning of the Fourth of July Acting Battalion Chief 2, Captain Jason Goodwin was flagged down on Cold Spring Lane and notified of a brush fire in a recycling yard on Brand Avenue, just east of I-83. He investigated and found a fast moving fire burning in a large pile of mulch and logs about 75’ X 300’ about 45’ high. He took Command of the scene and requested 2 engines and a truck to location.
The yard workers were on the scene attempting to extinguish the blaze with a hose line they had on site but were making little progress. Engine 29 and 44 arrived within minutes and laid a line in from a hydrant at the entrance to the yard. Truck 25 arrived and began setting up their ladder pipe over the large pile. As the fire grew in intensity brands were beginning to spread in every direction. Command requested the rest of the fire box about 10 minutes later. The incoming companies were ordered to find other hydrants and bring an additional water supply to the scene and the truck company was to set up their ladder pipe.
At 0909 Command then requested a special call for two more engines and Box 414 Association for rehab due to the extreme heat and humidity this day. About 20 minutes later the Water Tower was also special called to the scene. Units operated throughout the rest of the day with hand lines and ladder pipes along with the company’s excavator moving the logs and mulch around to get at the buried fire.
Later on companies began using foam on the fire and this seemed to be pretty effective on the smoldering fire in the mulch pile. Units were on the scene for about 8 hours before the fire was placed under control. One firefighter was transported from the scene with heat exhaustion to a local hospital.