Firefighters respond to two-alarm fire in Southwest Baltimore
BALTIMORE -- Firefighters found a pair of vacant houses on fire in Southwest Baltimore on Wednesday.
The two-alarm fire sent crews to the 2800 block of Frederick Avenue just before 4 p.m., according to the Baltimore City Fire Department.
"When we dispatch units for the report of a fire, you're going to automatically dispatch five fire engines, two fire trucks, two battalion chiefs, a safety officer and a medic unit," fire department spokesperson Kevin Cartwright said. "So, the second alarm of fire, you get nearly double that."
Baltimore City Fire is working to put out flames to homes on Frederick Avenue near Font Hill Avenue.
— Cristina Mendez (@CrisMendezTV) November 22, 2023
Note: There’s a red reflective square marking on one of the homes. This is part of a 2022 plan called the “Unsafe Vacant Marking Initiative”, identifies unsafe structures @wjz pic.twitter.com/iDwGrVGjx0
The attack to put out the fire was from the exterior of the buildings only, according to the department.
This follows procedure adjustments made within the agency to the way firefighters respond to incidents after the deaths of two first responders in October.
The structures on Frederick Avenue near Font Hill Avenue had a red reflective square affixed on the front.
The symbol is part of the "Unsafe Vacant Marking Initiative" that the department launched in 2022 to identify unsafe structures.
It was implemented following the deaths of three firefighters who sustained injuries during a response to a vacant row home fire on South Stricker Street in January of that year.
Meanwhile, a breezeway separated the vacant structures from a set of occupied homes, which sustained minor damage to the exterior walls during the fire, according to Cartwright.
"We did evacuate those occupants from their home and they will be able to return to their home tonight," Cartwright said.
One of the homeowners, David Reynolds Jr., said the fire came too close for comfort to the home he grew up in.
"It's where I grew up," said Reynolds Jr. "It's where I've lived through good times and bad times."
The department said no injuries were reported by fire crews or residents.
"It's the night before Thanksgiving," Reynolds Jr. said. "The biggest concern of mine is the cats and making sure they're alright."
A fire investigator will make assessments of the scene to try to determine what may have caused the fire.