Crews Battled Massive Fire In South Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Explosions and heavy fire rocked a South Baltimore business Saturday as more than 100 firefighters battled the flames and the heat.
As Andrea Fujii explains, witnesses say it's amazing no one got hurt.
Early Saturday morning, fire ripped through concrete manufacturing company Kaufman Products in Curtis Bay, startling nearby residents.
"I think the whole building was going to blow up," said one.
"The firemen ran that way and we ran that way," said another.
Firefighters say the large warehouse housed non-flammable hazardous material and chemicals, which may have contributed to several explosions.
"It looked like 55 gallon drums because you could see the lids going 50 feet into the air," said a neighbor.
"Not knowing what these chemicals are could certainly have created a much more unsafe situation," said Baltimore City Fire Chief Kevin Cartwright.
WJZ's Harbor Cam showed how the heavy smoke could be seen for miles, prompting the need for more than 100 fire personnel.
The high temperatures didn't help matters, either. One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion but is expected to be OK.
Some neighbors made a morning out of all the activity, and are just grateful no one was hurt.
"Kind of exciting, you know, in a way. Dangerous but exciting," said a neighbor.
Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire. The company's owner was on the scene but declined an interview.
