Massive Baltimore fire could continue to smolder for a couple of days, fire officials say

BALTIMORE - A massive, wind-fueled fire at a Baltimore wood recycling facility in the Woodberry neighborhood could continue to smolder for a few days after it prompted a shutdown on I-83 Friday, according to Baltimore City Fire officials.  

The fire started Thursday evening in a large storage area with trees and logs stacked about 30 feet tall at Camp Small along W. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace said. 

GALLERY: Massive fire at Baltimore wood recycling plant impacts roads, schools

Camp Small is a zero-waste facility run by the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks. According to the mayor's office, a department employee saw a small fire around 5:10 p.m. and immediately called 911.

On Friday around 7:20 a.m., Fire officials said they still had burn units on all sides of the fire, but the flames were contained to a certain area.  

During a press conference Friday afternoon, Fire Chief James Wallace said firefighters were still working to keep the fire suppressed with the help of heavy equipment like an excavator and bulldozer.    

Crews are working to reduce the fire by clearing a ring around the area, condensing the pile of logs, and spraying water to keep any embers down.  

Wind continues to be an issue during the response.  

"We're still very challenged by the wind, and our firefighters by the cold weather," Chief Wallace said. "We do have a lot of ice down there."  

On Thursday night, there were over 100 firefighters and 12 engine companies on the scene, according to the mayor's office.

"This fire quickly spread," Wallace said. "It was wind-driven. It was a very challenging fire and it remains a very challenging fire."

Firefighters worked through the night and were still on the scene Friday morning to contain the fire, but there were some challenges. 

"We're in the process of attempting to not only secure a ring around the fire which I think they've done by way of just clearing ground cover but also begin to kind of condense the pile," Chief Wallace explained.

Wallace said the strong winds posed a threat along the one road that emergency crews were using to access the fire. Officials were also worried about hot embers sparking another fire elsewhere.

"The challenges are that it's a wind-driven fire, it's a very deep-seated fire and we are very limited in access, so our tactics have to somewhat change," Wallace said.

Wallace was asked if he had battled a fire this large.

"I have not encountered this type of fire at this size before," Wallace said.

During the afternoon news conference, Chief Wallace said there was no damage to critical infrastructure in the area. The Cold Spring Lane Bridge, MTA Light Rail's Canton area line, and Fleischmann's Vinegar distillery are all located close by.  

"I think one of the most important things that you can hear from anyone today is that, even with the raging fire that you all saw behind us last night, critical infrastructure seems to have no damage," Mayor Brandon Scott said during the news conference. "That is a huge thing for all of us."

"It's been a very safe operation and I'm extraordinarily proud of my command staff and everybody, all the firefighters that were here…it was just an amazing effort," Wallace added.

"As the fire becomes fully extinguished - we'll be working to remove debris from camp small and open their operations as quickly as possible," said Mayor Scott.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation. No injuries have been reported as of Thursday night.

I-83 traffic impacted

As of 8:25 a.m., all lanes of I-83 were open, but the ramp from I-83 South to Cold Spring Lane remained closed for the majority of Friday, according to the Maryland State Highway Administration.

Coldspring Lane remains closed to traffic in both directions and could remain closed through Friday as firefighters continue to be on the scene.

At 7:14 p.m., Baltimore City DOT announced that all roads and ramps had been reopened on Coldspring Lane, including North and Southbound I-83 and the Coldspring Lane ramps.

Scott said the city has salt trucks on standby due to the amount of water on the roads near the scene of the fire.    

According to Wallace, there are businesses, apartment complexes, and homes in the vicinity but evacuations were not necessary.

MTA light rail suspended

MTA suspended light rail service between Falls Road and North Avenue out of precaution. In the meantime, a shuttle bus service is available between these stations.

"We are attempting to protect the light rail tracks," Wallace said. "The tracks have not been compromised but we have fire close enough to the tracks."

Holly Arnold, MTA's Administrator, posted to X on Friday night that the light rail tracks were being inspected and may be reopened on Saturday morning.

Closures

Multiple schools closed their doors on Friday because of the fire. Commuters even had a rough morning trying to get around I-83 which was shut down for hours.

Baltimore's Polytechnic Institute and Western High School were closed on Friday, Dec. 6. 

Medfield Heights Elementary School closed at noon on Friday due to the air quality in the building.

It was an unbelievable sight for several residents.

"You see stuff like that on the West Coast," Norman Pope, a Baltimore resident said. 

Though just four minutes up the road, parents rushed to Medfield Heights Elementary School to pick up their children around noon after school officials decided, it too should not remain open.

"Because of air quality concerns in the building. City Schools will be scrubbing the air in Poly, Western, and Medfield over the weekend," Mayor Scott said.

This caused frustration for some parents at the schools. 

"I would think that if the high school with older kids would let the kids out of school earlier, I don't know why the elementary school wouldn't have done the same thing," Latascha Smith, a Baltimore City school parent said.

The smoke billowing across the area impacted businesses too like the Evergreen Veterinary Clinic.

"Just even walking in this building, I could still smell a decent amount of that smoky smell," Dr. Danielle Anthony, Veterinarian and Medical Director at Evergreen Veterinary Clinic, said.

Anthony added that fewer clients stopped by due to traffic and smoke concerns. Because of air quality concerns, she advises pet owners to keep their dogs, cats, and birds indoors and protected.

The Maryland Zoo also closed on Friday due to the fire, though private events still went on as planned. 

According to zoo officials, the animals were already scheduled to be inside Friday because of cold temperatures, and the wind direction is sending smoke away from the zoo, so the health of the animals is not affected. 

Mayor Scott says city schools hope to have Poly, Western, and Medfield open on Monday.