Two-Alarm Fire Breaks Out At Seagrams Plant In Dundalk
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- While the Seagrams distillery in Dundalk has been empty for decades, the plant has had its second fire in two months.
The sky over east Baltimore County lit up Monday night, as flames soared from the fourth floor of the factory.
The fire began around 10 p.m. at the distillery at Sollers Point Road and Delvale Avenue.
It was an all-too-common sight for Baltimore County Firefighters, who always approach vacant building with caution.
"They found this fire defensively, which means it was all fought from the outside, basically pouring water from the outside," said Elise Armacost, with Baltimore County Fire.
The tactic keeps firefighters away from collapsing floors and walls, some of which gave way in the fire.
"As a result of that collapse, it made it impossible for our investigators, for the police department to do an on-scene investigation," says Armacost.
Consequentially, there is no official cause of the fire, especially as the building was empty and without electricity.
The fire was under control at around 2 a.m. Tuesday morning, but fire crews are remained on scene to check for hot spots.
In the past 10 years, there have been six significant fires and a number of smaller fire incidents.
This is the second report of a fire in the last two months. A two-alarm fire broke out at the factory in early July. There was at least one wall that had collapsed during the blaze.
"The cases were either unidentified or set fires," says Armacost.
A collection of buildings in the area where Seagrams was have stood vacant since the 1990s. The Seagrams distillery was closed in 1988.
A neighborhood business heard the distillery will soon be demolished, although the fire department would not confirm.
For a few years, there have been proposals to build new housing on the site.
"You'll have individuals who will live there. It'll be people supporting the local businesses. Individuals with higher income levels," said former Baltimore County Councilman, John Olszewki.
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