Woman dead after house fire in North Baltimore, officials say
BALTIMORE -- A woman is dead after a house fire in Baltimore's Waverly neighborhood on Friday morning, according to fire officials.
Firefighters responded to the 500 block of E 38th Street around 4:15 a.m. where they found fire and smoke coming from a two-story home. Officials said the fire impacted three homes.
Officials said a 63-year-old woman was found dead in the home.
No other injuries were reported, and the fire was contained around 5 a.m., according to officials.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
'This is terrible'
A fire spokesperson said three homes are directly impacted by the fire. Lutondar Hicks is one of multiple residents picking up the pieces from the early morning blaze.
"I just couldn't get myself together," said Lutondar Hicks. "I couldn't believe that this is happening."
A loud noise and the smell of smoke woke Lutondar Hicks up early Friday morning. When Hicks checked her window to see what happened, she noticed flames coming from her home.
"There was fire on the roof," said Hicks. "I went to wake up my son and tell him 'Hurry up and get out the bed.'"
She said it damaged much of her house.
"The ceiling has come in," she said. "Water everywhere. Everything in the house is messed up."
Hicks lives a couple of doors down from where the flames started. She said she would see her often.
"A loving person," Hicks said. "We used to talk. We laughed."
Although it took crews roughly 45 minutes to contain the fire, Hicks said the work to repair her home could stretch into the new year.
She said contractors may not be able to get all the necessary work done during the holiday season.
"It could have been worse," Hicks said. "This is going to be taken care of."
Hicks and her son plan to stay at a hotel until the work on her home is complete.
Neighbors react
Other neighbors living on the street are in disbelief.
"I just woke up," Tanesha Young told WJZ Friday morning. "I didn't hear anything...This is sad, really sad."
One person told WJZ he called 911 when he saw the home fully engulfed in flames. He said he watched as other neighbors tried to help and as firefighters got to the scene.
Recent Fires
Maryland has seen a rash of fires recently. On Friday, Baltimore City Fire said crews responded to 923 fire suppression incidents during the week.
In Harford County, a house fire left a father dead on Christmas. In early December, a house fire in Catonsville left a person dead and another critically injured.
In November, a fire spread through multiple rowhomes in Baltimore's Greektown neighborhood, leaving a woman dead and several residents displaced.
The cause of those fires remains under investigation, meanwhile, since mid-October the Northeastern U.S. region has experienced ongoing drought conditions, which can contribute to an elevated risk of fires.
