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Modified 12-Nov-19
Created 7-Jun-19
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Around 2023 hours on June 6, 2019 several calls began to ring into Fire Communications reporting a warehouse on fire in the 900 block of Madison Street, right behind the Oldtown Fire Station. As units pulled out of the station and around the corner heavy fire and smoke was blowing through the roof in the rear section of a large 2-story L-shaped warehouse. It was vacant and loaded with mattresses from floor to ceiling. It had been the scene of several additional alarm fires in years past. On April 3, 2011 3-alarms were sounded and most recently on June 15, 2016 another 3-alarm fire took place.
Battalion Chief 2, Frank Farrell, arrived and surveyed the scene and immediately made it a working fire. As units arrived they began setting up for exterior operations and establishing a collapse zone. Crews checked the adjacent building for any extension and it was determined that the fire was contained to the original warehouse. When newly promoted Shift Commander James Wallace arrived on the scene he assumed Command and ordered a second alarm at 2030 hours. The fire had worked its way from the rear to the front section of the block square L-shaped building. Heavy smoke was now showing from the second floor windows on the front side of the complex.
Over the next two and a half hours 3 alarms and several special calls were sounded bringing about 40 pieces of equipment along with 125 firefighters. The fire continued to burn throughout the night and wasn’t declared under control until around 0900 hours the following morning.
Around 0030 hours a large amount of diesel fuel was discovered running out of the building from an unknown source, and into the storm drains leading into the harbor. Haz Mat units along with the Maryland Department of Environment were requested and the U. S. Coast Guard responded to the mouth of the Jones Falls. There about 200 gallons or more was contained by absorbent booms.
During the hectic night 11 mutual aid units from Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Howard counties transferred to stations throughout the City and responded to multiple calls themselves.
By daybreak only a handful of units remained on the Monument St. warehouse scene wetting down hot spots. The Baltimore Division of the ATF and MD State Fire Marshal arrived on the scene in the morning and remained throughout the day assisting FIB with the investigation of the fire.
One firefighter was injured, suffering lacerations to his hand. The last unit left the scene around 1930 that evening.
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