Damaging downtown Baltimore fire stalled traffic, suspended light rail service

BALTIMORE-- A 5-alarm fire damaged multiple buildings, snarled traffic and caused the light rail to suspend operations for hours Sunday in downtown Baltimore.

Crews responded to a building fire around 9:30 a.m. near the intersection of Lombard and Eutaw streets, just hours before the Orioles hosted a game at nearby Camden Yards. No injuries were reported.

Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace said that upwards of five commercial buildings and an apartment sustained "significant damage." 

"We have some buildings with extensive fire damage," Wallace said. "We have other buildings where fire was trying to progress and we used a lot of water to stop that progress. There's significant damage to all of those buildings."

More than 200 firefighters battled the fire. Around 10 a.m., a fifth alarm was issued to ensure firefighters had the proper resources needed for the fire to be extinguished

"We are using what we call aerial master streams, so we are dumping a lot of water into these buildings from above," Wallace said.

The fire and the response forced the light rail to be suspended for hours and detours were set up for traffic, which was backed up as the Orioles were preparing for their 1:35 p.m. game against the Detroit Tigers. The light rail has resumed normal operations.

"With the fire downtown now under control and close to being extinguished, I want to thank all of the fire crews from @BaltimoreFire and the surrounding jurisdictions who sent aid," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. "They leaped into action quickly and expertly and safely handled a very challenging scene."

Cindy Patterson, who was attending the Orioles game, said she couldn't get into her parking garage on Eutaw Street.

"We came down to go to the Orioles game and the traffic is absolutely outrageous," Patterson said. "I've never seen it this bad down here. It has impacted a lot of the parking garages. I have a monthly pass to the Eutaw garage and I can't get to it."

Wallace said the cause of the fire is under investigation, as well as where the fire originated.

"We have a large area that's affected with regard to traffic flow," Wallace said. "We are functioning in a unified command mode because we have a lot of different things we have to address."