Home»BALTIMORE CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT»INCIDENTS»2016 Fires and Incidents»1-Alarm & S/C 601 N. Milton Ave. 11-27-16

In the early morning hours of November 27, 2016, right before the change of shifts, Fire Box 33-50 was dispatched for a building fire at the intersection of N. Milton Avenue and McElderry Street, in the McElderry Park area of east Baltimore. Units arrived to find a one story brick warehouse, approximately 75’ X 100’ with smoke pushing through the window and door frames. Fire was also visible through some of the windows in the front of the building. An initial report indicated that someone may have been inside, so firefighters quickly cut through an overhead garage door on Side D and made a quick search finding no one.
Companies started an exterior attack. The building was occupied by a TV and appliance repair and sales company so the building was packed with these items making entry hazardous.
Battalion Chief 2 arrived, took Command and made it a working fire at 0549 hours. There were no exposures around the building so units surrounded the structure and set up ladder pipes and large bore handlines. The fire became quite smoky and firefighters continued to pour water into the windows on Sides A and B. A special call was ordered at 0607 bringing two more engine companies to bring and supply more water to the scene. It wasn’t until about an hour later when the fire finally broke through the roof that the ladder pipes were able to put some heavy water on the fire and begin to finally knock it down. Companies continued to fight the blaze into the daylight as relief crews came to the scene and rotated the previous days shift out.
The fire was brought under control in about two hours. Crews remained on the scene throughout the day hitting hot spots and investigating the cause. The next day contractors were brought in and tore the condemned building down completely.