Firefighter injured in underground blaze in downtown Baltimore that caused thousands of power outages
Leaving thousands of power outages, wreckage to businesses, road closures and an injured firefighter in its wake, an underground fire in downtown Baltimore on Sunday marks the third one within close proximity this year,
Shortly after 5 a.m., the Baltimore City Fire Department responded to the 300 block of North Charles Street for reports of an underground fire with multiple maintenance holes emitting smoke and a possible maintenance hole explosion, according to the Baltimore Department of Emergency Services. Crews observed numerous maintenance holes releasing smoke from their covers and one emitting fire.
Crews assessing the scene later pieced together fragments of an exploded maintenance hole cover at the intersection of North Charles and East Pleasant streets. Inside maintenance holes were tangles of electrical wires and infrastructure, the majority of which were burnt.
Power was shut off by Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. so that Baltimore City firefighters could safely extinguish the blaze, the cause of which is still under investigation, according to city fire officials. The injured firefighter was transported for treatment, according to Baltimore Police spokesperson Freddie Talbert, and threats to the public have been mitigated.
The 300 blocks of North Charles and St. Paul streets will be shut down “for a prolonged period of time,” Talbert said. North Charles Street is closed from Lexington Street to Mulberry Street, and Saratoga Street is shut down from St. Paul Street to Sharp Street, Talbert said Sunday afternoon.
According to BGE around noon, about 2,200 customers were without power. The outage affects the area of Lexington, Mulberry, Saratoga, Calvert and Sharp streets.
All of the traffic lights spanning from City Hall to Charles Plaza and the Washington Monument were still out Sunday around 2 p.m., with some cars blowing through intersections. Road closures were blocked by cones, as well as vehicles from Baltimore Police, the Department of Public Works and the Maryland Department of Transportation.
In the commercial Charles Plaza, the majority of businesses, such as Streets Market & Cafe and the Charles Street 7-Eleven, were dark around 11:30 a.m., even if they had signs illuminated. Foot traffic was light in the normally busy area, with some people walking in the middle of the street. BGE crews were posted along the side of the road.
Debris and singed books from Viva Books littered the sidewalk of North Charles Street as crews continued to operate within the interior of the two charred maintenance holes in the street. The floor of the bookseller was ripped open and damaged from fire.
“Viva Stowell, owner of Viva Books in Brown’s Arcade, surveys the destruction of her shop with a firefighter after an underground fire downtown early Sunday morning spread to her business, destroying the interior. The fire led to road closures, and 2,200 customers lost power, according to BGE spokesperson Talon Sachs. (Amy Davis/Staff)BGE is assessing the impact the fire had on underground electric infrastructure to carry out necessary repairs, the company said in a statement.
The 300 block of North Charles Street is no stranger to underground fires, as crews responded to a similar blaze, which included an explosion, in late January.
BGE confirmed that a January incident that occurred outside the Rod Dee Thai restaurant on that block resulted from an electrical fire, which did not cause injuries. The fire left 1,700 customers without power and led to road closures and conditions similar to Sunday’s fire.
In June, crews responded to the area again for a high-voltage fire in the 200 block of North Charles Street. Similarly, power needed to be shut down in the area by BGE, and crews worked to address the underground electrical infrastructure.
A building was evacuated, and the fire did not result in any injuries.
Underground fire affects Baltimore City | PHOTOS
When asked why underground fires the area continue to occur and what is being done to prevent them, a BGE spokesperson said the company is “focused on restoring customers who are currently out of service.”
Last week, another Sunday fire downtown drew a response of over 240 personnel from numerous agencies. No injuries were reported.
Baltimore Sun photographer Amy Davis contributed to this article.
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