7 Fire Deaths In Baltimore In 2020; Lowest Total In City's History
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Seven people died in fires in Baltimore in 2020, the lowest yearly total in the city's history, the Baltimore City Fire Department said this week.
Fire officials credited the decline to all of the city's first responders and their quick actions.
The most fire-related deaths the city saw in a single year was in 1984 when 88 people died.
"While my overarching goal is to have zero fire fatalities, this is a great step in the right direction," Fire Chief Niles Ford said in a news release. "This was a significant decrease that is unmatched and my hope is that we will continue this downward trend."
In more recent years, fatalities have been in the double digits, the fire department said. The previous low over the past decade was 12 deaths in both 2012 and 2018.