Home»BALTIMORE CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT»INCIDENTS»2013 Fires and Incidents»4-Alarm 3016 Frederick Ave. 9-20-13

On Friday, September 20th, around 8:00 PM Engine 30 and Truck 8 left their quarters to investigate a report of smoke from a building two blocks down from their station. When they got to the scene in the 3000 block of Frederick Avenue they found heavy fire and smoke coming from the rear roof area of a 100’ X 300’ 2-story block building known as the “Three Brothers Building.” Among the businesses are a liquor store, coin operated Laundromat, convenient store, tattoo parlor, and a new internet café. This business has been a fixture of the neighborhood since 1959.
Truck 8 requested the full box assignment to be dispatched and when Battalion Chief 3 arrived he made it a working fire and struck out the second alarm at 8:08, the third alarm at 8:17 and fourth at 8:46.
The fire burned its way through the entire structure and made its way to the front about 45 minutes later. About 100 firefighters surrounded the building on all four sides and it wasn’t brought under control until about 5:00 AM on Saturday morning. There was a partial collapse of the second floor into itself.
There were about 14 employees in the building when the fire started and all escaped without incident.
Low water pressure hampered firefighting efforts in the early stages of the fire necessitating additional alarms. The Department of Public Works was called to the scene to help boost the pressure in the area. There was also another factor involved. The Frederick Avenue bridge over the Gwynns Falls, about three blocks east of the fire, has been closed for renovation and companies responding from that side had to find alternate routes to the fire scene delaying their response somewhat.
Companies were on the scene well into the morning hours wetting down hot spots and overhauling debris from the building. The last companies left the scene around 11:00AM on Saturday morning.
No injuries were reported. Fire Investigation along with Police Arson and agents from the ATF were on the scene at daybreak combing through the burned out building to determine the cause of the multi-million dollar blaze.