Brewers Hill apartment building evacuated after rooftop pool leak, building integrity possibly compromised

BALTIMORE -- An apartment building in Brewers Hill was evacuated Friday after a leak in the rooftop pool. Baltimore City Fire officials say the leak could damage the integrity of the building.

Residents of the Axel Brewers Hill, an apartment complex at 1211 S. Eaton St., waited outside Friday as city representatives, contractors, and a structural engineer evaluated the building's plans. 

A bright orange sign on the lobby door declared the building condemned.

Many neighbors who spoke with WJZ said they were notified of the leak via text.

"I looked at my phone and it said get your cars out of the garage and get off the balcony," said Dawn Geller, an Axel Brewers Hill resident. "There's structural damage to the pool."

"They said the building had some structural damage then I just got the pictures of the pool. It was a mess," said Mary Ann Pastore, another Axel Brewers Hill resident. 

Residents waited for hours outside of their apartment building as authorities drained the pool and combed through the building to figure out if it was safe for them to return home.

"All of our important papers are in there, my medicine, everything is in there," said Pastore. "I'm wondering what's going to happen. You know, are we going to be able to go back in?"

The Baltimore City Fire Department responded to the area shortly before 8 a.m. to investigate a water leak and quickly determined the rooftop pool was leaking "and possibly compromising the integrity of the building," fire department spokesperson John L. Marsh said in an email.

Drone footage taken by The Baltimore Banner appeared to show the pool deck had buckled or partially collapsed in the shallow end. Tiles all around the shallow end of the rooftop pool are askew, with some lifted off the ground.

Kim Robinson was visiting his son who works inside of the apartment building.

"You know that pool right there I mean we were just looking at it yesterday," said Robinson. "You see movies with stuff like that and you know, I wake up the next morning and this is happening. It's scary." 

Axel Brewers Hill released a statement regarding the leak

"At Axel Brewers Hill, the safety and well-being of our residents and community are our top priorities. Recently, we experienced a pool leak at the property, and we have immediately engaged engineers and repair specialists to assess the situation and fully understand the extent of the damage. We have taken swift action to secure the area, ensuring there is no risk to residents or visitors. Our team is actively working on a comprehensive repair plan, and we will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.We appreciate the patience and understanding of our residents during this time, and we are committed to resolving the issue as quickly as possible."

Just before 4:00 p.m. Friday afternoon residents were told that they could return home by authorities.

Fire crews told WJZ the pool and gym area will remain closed until further inspections and repairs have been made.

 No injuries reported from the incident.