Residents Left With Almost Nothing After Fire Destroys Rowhomes
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Cleanup continues in Curtis Bay after a roaring fire ripped through nearly an entire block of rowhomes Monday afternoon.
On Wednesday, the fire chief explained how broken fire hydrants impacted the fire fight.
The fire left nearly two dozen people homeless.
One man who lived there told WJZ's Devin Bartolotta that he has nothing but his car and the clothes on his back. He said he is getting help from the Red Cross.
Two days later, Hazel Street looks like just a pile of rubble.
A row of 10 homes in Curtis Bay were destroyed by fast moving flames Monday afternoon.
Nearly 80 firefighters battled the blaze, and according to the chief, two fire hydrants did not work when they were needed most.
Firefighters had to use their training to work around the handicap.
"Yes, it sounds like a major deal, but it's something that we do all of the time," said Baltimore City Fire Department Chief Niles Ford. "So it wasn't a difficult challenge for them."
Stunning pictures from a neighbor show flames shooting from the back of the homes. They're now charred beyond repair.
Nearly every house on the block is now condemned. The next step is for crews to go house by house, salvaging whatever they can.
"Pretty damaged, a lot of damage in this one. This has been a bad fire right here," said David Harman, with Servpro Cleanup and Restoration. "You get the water damage from the fire department and everything that goes with that."
Between water, smoke, and fire damage, whatever can be cleaned will be returned to its owner. But crews say out of the gutted homes, it's not likely to be much.
Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the blaze.
The fire department says both hydrants were repaired during the fire and should now be working properly.
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