Fire-damaged buildings in Cockeysville need to be stabilized before investigation can begin
COCKEYSVILLE – Fire officials cannot begin their investigation into Wednesday's fire, which damaged multiple York Road businesses, until after the buildings are stabilized and reinforced, Baltimore County Fire Department Lieutenant Travis Francis said Friday.
"Our investigators have not been able to get inside and do a thorough investigation at this time," Francis said.
Preliminary information from a 911 caller indicated the fire or smoke was first spotted in a back storage room, he said.
Gabrielle Dorsey, who works at Sass Resale Boutique, raced to the scene when her co-worker called her Wednesday.
"It doesn't feel real. It's like a bad dream," Dorsey said. "I've never been in such a devastating event. Just looking at the bones of a place I loved to be in is just heartbreaking."
The buildings are more than a hundred years old—originally built in 1920, according to state property records.
"There's a lot of heart, lot of love, lot of soul that's into these buildings," Dorsey said.
The two-alarm fire needed more than 100 firefighters," Francis said. "It was so intense, firefighters used exterior operations. There were no civilian or firefighter injuries reported."
"That's the most important thing," Dorsey said. "Above all, everyone's safe. All of this is material, right? They'll be better days. The people, the doggies—you can't replace them."