Tire fire in Rosedale sends Baltimore County firefighter to hospital

A Baltimore County firefighter was taken to a local hospital after a fast-moving tire fire tore through Pulaski Tire Service in Rosedale, forcing crews to shut down Pulaski Highway in both directions and keep the blaze from spreading to nearby buildings. The firefighter’s injuries were non-life-threatening and heat-related, while no civilians were hurt.

Fire crews were called to the 7800 block of Pulaski Highway near Chesaco Avenue around 2:30 to 2:34 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, after the first report came in as a brush fire. When crews arrived at the family-owned business, they found multiple trailers filled with tires burning, along with an RV and another trailer. The fire was under control by about 5:12 p.m.

Pulaski Tire Service sits along a busy stretch of Pulaski Highway in Rosedale, and the response closed the roadway in both directions while firefighters worked the scene. No other buildings were involved, but the fire sent thick heat and fuel load into a corner of east Baltimore County where commercial yards, roadside businesses and truck traffic sit close together.

The extreme heat and the intensity of burning tires made the response more difficult. Crews had to rotate personnel through the scene, provide rehab and hydration, and check vital signs as they worked in high temperatures.

The cause remains under investigation. The fire may have started in or near a pile of mulch. Pulaski Tire Service has been owned by the same family since the mid-1970s.