2 Dead In Northeast Baltimore Fire
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A deadly fire in Northeast Baltimore claims the lives of two people.
Rochelle Ritchie has more on the blaze that Baltimore City firefighters battled nearly two hours.
Police have identified two victims who died in the fire as Scott Wiles, 55, and Andrew Bryant, 52. Several others made it out alive.
Neighbors are saddened by the lives lost.
A demolition is now scheduled for 3019 Montebollo Terrace after a raging fire ripped through the home, leaving nothing untouched.
Temperatures were so high they practically melted a motorcycle.
"They were just shooting out from the roof of the house," said resident Miss Anne.
Just before midnight, neighbors said they could smell smoke and see a glow coming from the home.
"I then heard a woman screaming, 'Go get them out! There's two more people in there!'" said resident Liz Minner.
Firefighters arrived and quickly went to work.
The house was such an inferno that trained firefighters had to evacuate themselves because of the intense heat and flames.
Eventually crews did go back in and sadly found two people dead.
"We do believe these people died because of smoke inhalation and thermal burns," said Baltimore City Fire spokesperson Chief Kevin Cartwright.
Their deaths come just one day after a report showed fatal fires in Baltimore City were down in 2012.
"We had the lowest fire deaths total in history last year," said Fire Chief James Clack.
Last year, a dozen people were killed in eight fatal fires. One fire claimed the lives of five people.
Now, just three days into the new year, the city is aware there is still more work to be done to save lives.
"In order to gain our goal of zero fire deaths, we have to have working smoke alarms in every structure in the city," said Clack.
Nearby homes were spared from the fire's fury but neighbors said it's still hard living with the tragedy next door.
"Looking back, it was pretty overwhelming thinking I didn't know if this home had become involved or not," said Minner.
Fire investigators are still trying to determine if the home had working smoke alarms.
There is still no word on what caused the fire.
