City Releases Findings on 2024 Downtown Manhole Fire

Baltimore city officials released a comprehensive forensic review on December 30, 2025, concluding that the September 29, 2024 underground conduit fire at North Charles Street and Pleasant Street originated from an accumulation and detonation of combustible gases in a manhole and its connecting ductwork. The blast propagated through the conduit system, damaging nearby businesses and triggering widespread power outages across downtown Baltimore.

The review was conducted by RTI Group LLC, retained as the city’s forensic consultant. RTI’s investigation examined physical evidence, inspected the damaged manhole and conduit, and included interviews with personnel from the Department of Transportation, Baltimore Fire Department, and utility partners BGE and Vicinity. Based on that work, the report identifies specific risk factors that developed over time and culminated in the ignition and propagation of the fire through the underground infrastructure.

To reduce the likelihood of recurrence, RTI recommended expanded monitoring of vulnerable manholes, installation of gas detection and temperature monitoring systems, prioritized remediation of identified hazards, improved coordination among the city and utility partners, and strengthened inspection and maintenance protocols. The city’s Department of Transportation will lead an implementation plan to carry out those measures.

DOT has already installed a pilot monitoring system at the manhole at the center of the 2024 incident and will review bids for a broader monitoring program as part of the implementation plan. City officials thanked utility partners BGE and Vicinity for cooperating with the investigation. The full RTI report has been made available online for public review.

For Baltimore residents and downtown business owners, the findings clarify why the 2024 fire caused extensive damage and prolonged power interruptions, and they lay out concrete steps intended to make the city’s belowground networks safer. The recommendations emphasize early detection and coordinated response, which city leaders say should reduce the risk of sudden outages that disrupt commerce and daily life.

The investigative findings also underscore the challenges of maintaining complex, aging urban infrastructure where multiple agencies and private utilities share responsibilities. With an implementation plan now under DOT oversight and a pilot monitoring system in place, Baltimore will move into an operational phase focused on mitigation, procurement of broader monitoring systems, and updated maintenance practices meant to protect public safety and economic activity downtown.