Baltimore County: Reisterstown Firefighter in Critical Condition after Blaze

The damaged windows and doors at the front of 19 Hanover Road in Reisterstown are already boarded up after a fire swept through the home early Wednesday.

The fire began at about 1 a.m. and claimed the life of one resident, Steven Starr, 58.

One firefighter, Gene Kirchner, 25, was in critical condition Wednesday afternoon at Maryland Shock Trauma, according to a tweet by Baltimore County Public Safety.

He was injured at about 1:30 a.m. while fighting the fire on the second floor—in the same area where Starr was found.

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At the Reisterstown Volunteer Fire Company this morning, firefighters' gear, including smoky and sooty uniforms, were set out on tables in front of the station.

"As a company, we are doing as good as we can do," an unidentified firefighter said at the station, before referring Patch to the Baltimore County Fire Department communications department.

That firefighter said he was not part of firefighting efforts Wednesday night.

"Everything is so fresh," said Julia Hardgrove, spokeswoman for the department. "We're getting the investigation under way."

According to a news release from the department, "Preliminary investigation has not revealed any signs of foul play in this morning's fatal fire in Reisterstown."

At the home, at about 1 p.m., the owner, some of his family and helpers were in the backyard, talking and working on getting items out of the home, and boarding it up against the weather.

Icicle-style Christmas lights still hung on the eves out front, of the weathered, red-brick, three-story home. And large Christmas wreaths were on the cluttered front porch, inside the wooded, unkempt front yard.

Ladders were set up as evidence of the work done to board up the home Wednesday morning after the fire, a family member said.

The most damage is evident at the back of the home, but owners did not permit Patch to go to the back yard.

The Baltimore County Fire Department plans a news conference at 3 p.m. at the volunteer fire company.

Stay with Patch for updates.