13-year-old girl becomes third death from Highlandtown house fire that displaced 19
BALTIMORE -- Three people -- including two children - have died from Tuesday's house fire in Southeast Baltimore, according to officials.
An 8-year-old boy died hours after his rescue. A 22-year-old man was pronounced dead Wednesday after being hospitalized.
Officials said a 13-year-old girl, who had also been hospitalized, died Thursday afternoon.
Crews responded around 2 a.m. to the house fire in the 3400 block of East Lombard Street, where they found "heavy fire and smoke conditions" coming from a two-story building, Baltimore City Fire Department spokesperson Kevin Cartwright said.
As crews worked to knock down the fire, a rescue team found the three unconscious, unresponsive people inside, Cartwright said. The victims were treated on the scene before being transported to area hospitals.
The fire damaged four row homes, impacting five families, and displacing 19.
"We will work with MONSE's victim services team and the Red Cross to ensure that the victims and displaced neighbors are relocated and receive the care they need," Baltimore City Councilman Zeke Cohen said Wednesday.
"This is an all-in effort," Cohen said. "This is what Highlandtown does. We rally around each other but again my heart is really broken for this family. Just speaking as a father with two young kids myself, there is literally nothing worse that I could think of than what occurred."
Pastor Mark Clark with the Breath of God Lutheran Church is coordinating donation efforts for the families impacted. Donations can be made online or by visiting the church in person at 141 S. Clinton St.
Comité Latino de Baltimore is a local organization that helps Latinos in need. They are working with Clark to determine what furniture, clothes or other items the families need.
Greg Mayen, who owns Panaderia Cocina Cafe, a restaurant just steps away from the site of the fire, said knew the siblings, and would hug them when he saw them.
He said he is struggling to come to grips with the tragedy.
"I don't want to believe that because it's hard," Mayen said.
City fire officials, police, members of the Red Cross and community leaders will gather Saturday at 10 a.m. to walk through the community and talk to neighbors about fire safety. They will go door to door to double-check if each household has a working fire alarm.
Any Baltimore City resident in need of a working smoke alarm is urged to call 311 and within two hours a representative from the Baltimore City Fire Department will arrive at their home to install them on each level of the home.