Mayor, Fire Department Install Smoke Detectors Saturday
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- In a desperate attempt to raise awareness, the mayor and Baltimore City Fire Department hit the streets to install smoke detectors in hundreds of homes---just days after a West Baltimore fire took the life of a two-year-old boy.
Rick Ritter has more.
Last year, Baltimore City had 17 fatalities---a number that's down from previous years. Over the past few weeks, officials say they've seen a huge spike in fires, due to the bitter cold.
A week of sorrow in Baltimore City: a community rocked after flames destroyed a Reservoir Hill rowhome, stripping a family of their two-year-old boy.
"My heart sank. Still sad about that," said neighbor Melvin Reid.
It's the latest tragedy in a city that's dealing with an overload of fires just weeks into the new year.
"We've had a tremendous spike in fires due to the cold weather," said assistant chief Wagner.
Now a desperate attempt to raise awareness as the mayor and city firefighters hit the streets of Tuesday's fatal scene, installing smoke detectors in hundreds of homes.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake says tough times could be to blame for the recent uptick.
"Sometimes people are doing things, getting creative because they don't have heat," she said.
But the city is committed to doing everything it can to prevent a traumatic scene like Tuesday's from happening again.
"It is a tragedy to lose a child, especially one so young," Rawlings-Blake said.
An adult and two other little boys were saved in the fire by a pair of BGE contractors. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Baltimore City residents who need a smoke detector can call 311. Firefighters will bring one out to you for free and perform a fire safety check on your home.