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Southeast Baltimore fire at vacant house injures two people, leaving one with severe burns

Here's your Tuesday afternoon news update (11/21/2023)
Here's your Tuesday afternoon news update (11/21/2023) 01:57

BALTIMORE -- Two people were injured by a fire in Baltimore's McElderry Park neighborhood on Tuesday, according to Baltimore fire officials.

Firefighters were sent to 405 N. Port Street just before 7 a.m., fire officials said.

Once there, they found smoke coming from a vacant house. Upon entering the house, they found a fire in the kitchen along with two people suffering from burns and smoke inhalation, according to Baltimore City Fire Department spokesman Kevin Cartwright.

Firefighters removed the two people from the house.

One of them suffered from smoke inhalation and severe burns while the second person suffered from solely smoke inhalation, Cartwright said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to fire officials.

The Baltimore City Fire Department recently made adjustments to how its firefighters approach fighting fires following the death of two firefighters who were fatally injured while fighting flames at an unoccupied house in Northwest Baltimore.

Adjusted procedures dictate that firefighters are to only attack fires from the inside of occupied dwellings after they have completed several checks of the building.

Additionally, all fires at confirmed vacant buildings can only be extinguished from the outside unless it is clear that a person is trapped inside of the building.

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