Firefighters with the Baltimore County Fire Department were busy working to contain two separate two-alarm fires in Dundalk and Essex on Friday evening, one of which sent an infant to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
According to Deputy Chief Robert Kemp, BCFD received a call around 7 p.m. for a dwelling fire with someone reportedly being trapped in a burning row home on the 1000 Block of Foxcroft Lane in Essex. Units arrived minutes later and saw heavy fire coming from two row homes on the block.
During their search of the premises, firefighters found the child in one of the residences. The infant was quickly transported to a nearby hospital and is in critical condition; three other residents of the home self-evacuated and were also transported to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
Officials eventually contained both blazes. The causes for the two fires are under investigation.
Six miles away in Dundalk, firefighters responded to a call at 101 Center Place, which is a senior living facility.
Responding units were able to contain the fire to one apartment, though the residents of the nine-story building were evacuated because of heavy amounts of smoke throughout. Kemp said that the building’s sprinkler system caused significant damage.
He told The Baltimore Sun that about a quarter of the building’s population is poised to be displaced by the incident, and that the department is coordinating with Anne Arundel County first responders, as well as the MTA and Red Cross, to transport the building’s residents to a warm shelter.
Three residents were transported to a nearby hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
As crews dealt with the blaze in Essex, a vehicle drove over the fire hose then took off when officials tried to stop the driver. Two Essex firetrucks were damaged and are now out of service. While there were no injuries, multiple vehicles were also damaged by the driver’s actions as he drove through the scene.
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