Visitors 62
Modified 12-Nov-19
Created 7-Aug-19
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In the early evening of August 6, 2019 severe thunderstorms rolled through Baltimore City and surrounding areas. Several streets downtown and areas toward the east were flooding, stranding cars and pedestrians. Several water rescue assignments were dispatched and working when around 6:00PM a lightning strike was reported in the 1300 block of Greenmount Avenue. The resulting fire was involving the roof of several 3-story storefront buildings. Fire Box 6-80 was struck out and first arriving units found fire in the roof and third floor of “The Chicken Castle’, a fast food carry-out store. Battalion Chief 2 arrived and assumed command and requested a working fire assignment.
Right around this time another fire was reported in a church in the 900 block Montpelier Street, only several blocks to the north of this fire. When units arrived on this location there was heavy fire showing and companies went to work there.
Meanwhile, back on Greenmount Ave. Command requested a second alarm at 1825 hours as fire was inside the third floor and travelling down the block through the common cockloft above four different buildings. The second and third floor windows were boarded up on all of these buildings making access difficult. It was followed by the third alarm 10 minutes later and several special calls.
It took firefighters 2 ½ hours to bring the fire under control, but not before it damaged 3 businesses and a vacant dwelling in between the other establishments.
As a result of the storm, along with several working water rescues, and the other working fire, there were about 12 mutual aid units from Baltimore and Anne Arundel County transferred into the empty City firehouses until everything was back to normal several hours later.
No injuries were reported and a Building Inspector on the scene declared all 4 buildings condemned.
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