Warehouse Demolition Planned After Fire Disrupts MD Trains

Last updated Tuesday at 1:53 p.m.

BALTIMORE — The ATF will investigate what caused loud booms at the still-smoldering warehouse fire that broke out Monday evening in West Baltimore.

The warehouse lies feet from the railway shared by Amtrak and MARC. The blaze temporarily halted rail operations Monday evening through early Tuesday morning. The Amtrak and MARC are both back in service, but delays are still ongoing.

Officials are concerned about the stability of the warehouse and its proximity to the tracks.

Plans to demolish the multi-story, brick-and-mortar building are being developed.

Amtrak faces delays of 30 to 60 minutes between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Ripple effect delays are expected throughout Tuesday in the Northeast Corridor.

MARC suspended Penn Line trains for the morning commute and resumed running at 11 a.m. Tuesday. The commuter train is experiencing delays of up to 100 minutes.

Crews were called to 2205 W. Lanvale St., located near the West Baltimore Train Station, at 6:58 p.m. Monday. The flames quickly grew to a seven-alarm blaze.

"This is a very large commercial structure," Baltimore City Fire Department Chief James Wallace said at a Tuesday press conference streamed by WBFF. "There's a lot of different things in there, but we think what we're dealing with mostly are mattresses, large quantities of mattresses that are piled up."

Video obtained by WJZ showed raging flames and billowing smoke. WJZ said the cloud of smoke could be seen on the Doppler radar Monday evening.

More than 225 firefighters responded, The Baltimore Banner reported.

Mutual aid was provided by firefighters from Baltimore, Harford and Howard Counties, as well as BWI Airport.

The warehouse has three stories above ground, but Wallace said there are two floors underground that are inaccessible. Most of the firefighting has taken place on the exterior of the building.

Wallace said the city had to relocate 30 residents in the 600 block of Bentalou Street. Firefighters feared for the residents' safety and needed to use their properties to fan the flames.

Crews contained the fire to the original structure. BGE shut off utilities in the area.

No injuries have been reported.

Housing and Community Development partnered with the American Red Cross to temporarily move the affected families to a hotel. The Maryland Transit Administration provided bus transportation.

"Anytime we have an incident of this magnitude, it's always going to be all hands on deck," Mayor Brandon Scott said, calling it an "enormous fire." "I want to thank the full weight of city government for showing up last night."

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Investigators from the Baltimore City Fire Department, the Baltimore Police Department's arson team, the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office and the ATF are looking into the cause. The ATF will lead the investigation.

"ATF brings a ton of resources for us," Wallace said. "Given the size and scope of the fire, the fact that we disrupted rail service, it's very appropriate that we bring all hands on deck to investigate the cause of this fire."

Wallace did not have any updates on the booms that neighbors and reporters heard on the scene Monday evening. He is searching for answers.

"That's why I brought in just the full force of investigators from the state," Wallace said.

Another complication was the amount of water available from fire hydrants in the area. Because the neighborhood is mostly residential, the water main pipes were a smaller 6 inches.

"There's nothing uncommon about that whatsoever. Ninety-five percent of the fires that we fight, that's perfectly adequate," Wallace said.

In the rare case of an industrial fire in a residential area with smaller water pipes, firefighters travel to larger water mains and use pumper trucks to transport additional water to the scene. Battalion chiefs teamed with the Department of Public Works to identify the best places to tap the water grid for extra flow.

"We're absolutely prepared for that," Wallace said. "We train for this. We're perfectly equipped for this."

By 7:10 a.m. Tuesday, the Baltimore City Fire Department said it downgraded to a three-alarm crew that is still battling hotspots.

Scott thanked firefighters for their work.

"It's not a small task. I want to thank them for their leadership and their dedication as always to preserving life in Baltimore," Scott said. "They are the professionals that know exactly what they're doing."

Amtrak canceled at least five trains Monday evening and altered the stop itinerary for a sixth. Unable to pass the fire, trains were held for hours between Wilmington and Washington, D.C. Amtrak encouraged riders held at stations to consider alternate transportation methods.

Train service has resumed, but only one of the four tracks is operational next to the fire.

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