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A stubborn fire at a warehouse in Baltimore had first responders stepping back for an exterior attack on the flames as they disrupted a major passenger rail line along the Mid-Atlantic coast.
The fire in west Baltimore was reported shortly before 7 p.m., and it quickly escalated in scale from 4-alarm, to 5-alarm, the Baltimore Fire Department said in a series of statements on social media.
The department characterized the location as a vacant mattress warehouse with multiple stories. “At this time, the fire remains active and not under control,” it said.
No injuries have been reported.
The number of alarms correlates to a larger number of firefighters sent to a blaze. In all of 2021, the city said in a report on fire resources, the department responded to one each for third, fourth and fifth-alarm fires.
NBC affiliate WBAL of Baltimore reported that the firefight was aided by water trucked to the location.
Video of the blaze aired on the station showed a red brick building with windows offering interior views of a glowing cauldron of orange-tinged flames.
Firefighters took defensive positions on the rooftops of nearby row houses, the station’s coverage showed.
“It’s such a smoky fire,” Baltimore Fire Chief James W. Wallace said during WBAL’s coverage. “We’re trying to approach this the right way, obviously safely.”
The warehouse is adjacent to a major passenger rail corridor between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and Amtrak said trains along the line will be paused until conditions improve.
“Crews are working diligently to ensure safety and restore service as soon as possible,” the rail service said in a statement.
The fire was in the 130-year-old Midtown-Edmondson neighborhood on the west side of the city. The fire department requested that people avoid the area near Edmondson Avenue and Bantalou Street.
Citing Wallace, WBAL reported that some people in the area were being moved out, and that aid from the Red Cross — which often helps residents displaced by fire find temporary shelter — has been requested.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
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Fire burns out of control at vacant mattress warehouse in Baltimore – NBC News
