‘A Big Boom’ | Neighbor Says They’ve Never Seen Anything Like NW Baltimore Fire, Possible Explosion

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Neighbors heard the big boom and saw a massive flame in the sky Sunday night as a fire broke out in northwest Baltimore.

Eyewitnesses said it sounded like a sonic boom, and they believe it may have been a gas explosion, though that has not been confirmed.

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Baltimore City Fire confirmed the three-alarm fire late Sunday night in the 2800 block of Virginia Avenue. They said three adults and two children were taken to area hospitals in serious condition.

Neighbors say they heard a big boom, looked out the windows and saw a massive flame in the sky. There are townhomes and an apartment on that block. Then there was a second boom. Eyewitness said it sounded like a sonic boom but they believe it to be a gas explosion. @wjz pic.twitter.com/EfXFHB2gfn

— Annie Rose Ramos (@AnnieRoseNews) October 12, 2020

Helena was visiting her brother who lives on the Virginia Ave block Sunday night when the fire broke out. WJZ’s Annie Rose Ramos spoke with Helena who said she was studying when she heard the blast.

This is Helena. She was visiting her brother who lives on the Virginia Ave block. She was studying when she heard the blast. She ran outside w/ her brother. She saw their next door neighbors where the blast came from running and crying in pain from massive burns on their arms@wjz pic.twitter.com/FGrGgb4Cc8

— Annie Rose Ramos (@AnnieRoseNews) October 12, 2020

Jacqueline, another neighbor, said she has lived on Edgecombe Circle for over 20 years and has never seen anything like this.

“I heard a boom,” Jacqueline said. “It shook everything. I thought it was an earthquake or something.”

Jacqueline lives up the street on Edgecombe Circle. She’s lived here for over 20yrs. Earlier today, there was a shooting on the same block. Now, an explosion. She said she’s never seen anything like this in all her time living here @wjz pic.twitter.com/nPErEo05lO

— Annie Rose Ramos (@AnnieRoseNews) October 12, 2020

People ran out of the apartment building and were welcomed by neighbors and given blankets.

One of the injured being helped onto a stretcher. Many who ran out of the apt building after the explosion were welcomed onto the stoops & front porches of neighbors -out of the rain-& given blankets. This woman was waiting on a nearby front porch until the ambulance arrived @wjz pic.twitter.com/xGf4MxZCuE

— Annie Rose Ramos (@AnnieRoseNews) October 12, 2020

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This story was originally published on Oct. 11, 2020.