By Matt Hubbard
Baltimore Sun
BALTIMORE — A five-alarm fire in downtown Baltimore that drew a response of over 240 personnel from numerous agencies Sunday has been placed under control, according to the Baltimore City Fire Department. No injuries have been reported.
Upwards of five businesses — including Thai Elephant Wok, Docs Famous Wings, Jano Ethiopian Cuisine, The Goddess Gentleman’s Club and Lombard Liquors — and a residency were involved in the blaze near Oriole Park.
The fire started at 9:26 a.m. in the area of South Lombard and Eutaw streets, Fire Chief James Wallace said at the scene. Crews saw heavy smoke from corner buildings and immediately instituted a second alarm, which called for additional resources. By 10 a.m., they’d deemed it a five-alarm fire.
Shortly after 1 p.m., Baltimore Fire posted on the social media platform X that although crews were still on scene checking for hot spots, the incident had been downgraded.
A fire spokesperson could not confirm where the fire originated but said 72 apparatuses responded. At 11 a.m., there were nine hoses spraying the buildings. Crews are using aerial master-streams to dump water from above, Wallace said. Baltimore Fire Station No. 1 is less than a block away.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, Wallace said.
Fire officials were unable to confirm the extent of the damages but did say that some buildings had “significant damage” and that the fire had been stopped in others before it could progress. There’s still “lots of work to do” to control the fire, Wallace said.
Due to the scene still being active, investigators are unable to enter and evaluate the buildings, according to Wallace.
Smoke could be seen billowing heavily throughout the neighborhood Sunday morning. In some areas, there was about an inch of water with soot and charred debris moving through the street while dozens of fire alarms echoed off of nearby buildings and emergency response vehicles.
Paca to Eutaw streets and Pratt to Baltimore streets are closed, according to the city’s Department of Transportation. The department said motorists could use the Waze app for live updates. Light rail service is suspended in the Central Business District, and a bus bridge has been implemented from North Avenue to Cromwell and North Avenue to BWI Marshall Airport, according to the Maryland Transit Administration on X.
Crews are working knowing that the Orioles play the Tigers at home nearby at 1:35 p.m., Wallace said. Fire officials are in contact with the Maryland Stadium Authority, but disruptions are expected to continue well into the beginning of the game, the chief said.
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