Three-alarm Reservoir Hill fire displaces families, damages rowhomes and cars

Flames in the back of three Reservoir Hill rowhomes forced as many as 10 people out of their homes Sunday and sent firefighters racing to pull pets to safety on the 2500 block of Brookfield Avenue. The three-alarm fire broke out in a quiet stretch of the neighborhood around 12:20 p.m. and spread fast enough that residents saw it move from one house to the next before they could fully grasp what was happening.

Baltimore City Fire Department Chief of Staff Veobia Akilo said the blaze was under control by 1:04 p.m. CBS Baltimore reported that no animals, residents or firefighters were injured. Baltimore police, housing officials, animal control and Baltimore Gas and Electric all responded to the scene as crews worked to stop the fire and secure the block.

The damage reached beyond the homes themselves. Three rowhomes were impacted, and several vehicles were burned after live power lines came down onto the cars, complicating the response. Investigators said early indications pointed to a possible electrical cause, though the official cause remained under investigation. Crews gained control of the fire in about 45 minutes, but by then the destruction on Brookfield Avenue was already clear.

The most immediate concern was for the families who had to leave suddenly and the animals trapped inside. Firefighters rescued at least three dogs from the homes, and one resident said her two cats survived. WMAR 2 News reported that three families were displaced, a reminder that even a fire confined to one block can ripple through a rowhouse neighborhood in minutes.

For Reservoir Hill, the fire also underscored how vulnerable older attached housing can be when flames start in the rear of a home and utilities are involved. A fire in one house can quickly threaten adjoining units, vehicles parked close to the buildings and the people living inside. On Brookfield Avenue, the response prevented injuries, but it still left families facing displacement, damaged homes and the work of figuring out repairs, utilities and the path back inside.