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Modified 20-May-22
Created 26-Jan-22
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The most tragic event in decades occurred on January 24, 2022 in the Union Square neighborhood of southeast Baltimore. It began to unfold at 0554 hours when Fire Box 55-10 was dispatched for a dwelling fire reported in the 200 block of South Stricker Street. Communications was also receiving numerous calls reporting several other addresses in the vicinity as well as people reported to be trapped in the building. In just two minutes Engine 14 arrived on the scene and Acting Lieutenant Kelsey Sadler reported a three-story middle of the group dwelling with fire showing from the second and third floors. Engine 14 immediately led off from a hydrant at Pratt and Stricker Streets and stopped short of the front of the dwelling. Acting Lieutenant Kelsey proceeded to lead her crew into the front door for an interior attack. Battalion Chief 3,John Ellis arrived a minute later and assumed Command.
Just minutes after his arrival Command announced a collapse inside of the structure and declared a May Day inquiring if anyone was inside. It was then realized that at least two members were inside. Units immediately scrambled to the front and rear to start searching as well as containing the existing fire. Companies also entered the exposures on both sides to begin breeching the interior walls to get at the now buried victims. The collapse brought down the roof and floors all the way down into the basement and first floor area. A second alarm was requested followed a few minutes later by a special call for the Collapse Unit and all of the departments Squads.
In the mean time units were knocking this fire down as well as fire extending into both side exposures Crews were also checking for anyone else in the exposures.
Within several minutes contact was made with the first crew member of Engine 14, John McMaster. He was removed from the debris around 0616 hours and was transported to Shock Trauma where he was reported to be in critical condition.
This was now a full blown rescue effort to find and remove the missing members. In the next 90 minutes rescue crews searched and located the second member, Kenneth Lacayo. The rescuers were now in contact with him and worked to free him from the debris. He was heavily trapped from the waist down. They brought spare air bottles to supply him and medics began treating him while they painstakingly removed debris from around him. Around 0745 he was finally freed and was rushed to Shock Trauma where he was also listed in critical condition.
Around 0838 Acting Lieutenant Sadler was located and subsequently removed from the debris and transported to Shock Trauma. She and EMT/FF Lacayo were later pronounced deceased at the Hospital. Throughout the entire rescue operation there was the constant threat of a secondary collapse of the front and rear walls of the unstable structure. Crews continued to work the scene throughout the morning but after Sadler was removed it was realized that it would be a recovery operation for the fourth victim, Lieutenant Paul Butrim from Truck Company 23.
Around 0900 hours agents from The Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms arrived on the scene to begin their operations into the investigation. Tower 1 was requested around 11AM and Public Works crews arrived and began to tear down the unstable front wall to better access and clear out the remaining debris to begin recovering Lieutenant Butrim. He was found and removed around 1615 hours and pronounced dead at the scene. The ATF set up their operations in front of the building and began their investigation immediately. They canvassed the neighborhood for clues, witnesses or information and remained on the scene until Friday afternoon. They are currently offering a $10,000 reward on information on a “person of interest” that was seen in surveillance video in the area. Since then the reward has been boosted to $100,000 with pledges from the state of Maryland, Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, and the two local firefighter unions. The Fire Department maintained a fire watch along with Baltimore Police, Fire Investigation and ATF agents for the whole week until ATF concluded their operations.This neighborhood has been ravished by numerous fires in vacant structures for the last few years, many of them leading to firefighter injuries. This same building was previously burned in October of 2015 and several firefighters were injured in that blaze.
This was the worst multiple line of duty death toll since the Tru-Fit clothing store fire on February 16, 1955 when six firefighters, including a Battalion Chief were killed when the building collapsed on them while engaged in overhaul operations.
On Wednesday afternoon the Office of the Medical Examiner released the bodies of the fallen firefighters and the Fire Department escorted them with a procession to their respective funeral homes. The routes along the way out of the city were lined in several places with apparatus and their crews as well as police and citizens saluting and paying their respects to the fallen heroes.
On January 27th it was announced that on orders of Chief of Fire Department, Niles R. Ford posthumously promoted Kelsey Sadler to the rank of Lieutenant. And on the same day EMT/Firefighter John McMaster was released from Shock Trauma where he will be heading home to continue his recovery.
This was definitely a sad chapter in the long history of the Baltimore City Fire Department.

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