2-Alarm Baltimore House Fire Kills Six; High Winds Force Firefighters Out, Spread Fire To Three Homes

BALTIMORE - A fire at home in east Baltimore killed six adults and children early Tuesday, and spread to another three homes, a fire official said.


AlertPage.net: 2309 Homewood Ave. Audio












Firefighters were called to the scene around 4:45 a.m. and found a two-story brick home on fire, Baltimore fire department spokesman Kevin Cartwright said. Firefighters initially attacked the flames from the interior, but wind gusts intensified the blaze and forced them to retreat, Cartwright said. Wind gusts in the area at the time were between 30-40 mph, the National Weather Service reported.

Cartwright said once firefighters suppressed the fire, they searched the home and found the victims. He did not know their ages or identities, but neighbors said an elderly couple, their granddaughter and her three children lived in the home.

Hours after the fire, Karen Lane stood outside the home next to her mother. Her parents' home next door was one of those damaged, but Lane's mother and father escaped unharmed.

"Thank God they got out alive," Lane said.

Richard and Eleanor Satterfield lived in the home where the fire was reported along with their granddaughter, Tiara, and her three children, Lane said.

Neighbor Charles Giddins said the Satterfields were nice neighbors.

"She had just retired from working at the daycare program," Giddins said. "All she would do is sit on the porch in the morning and feed the birds, and watch her grandkids."

Shirley Braxton, who lives in a home damaged by the fire, said her daughter opened the front door and shouted that their neighbors' home was on fire, The Baltimore Sun reported.

"I said, 'Get my grandson. Y'all just get out of the house,'" Braxton said. "The only thing I was thinking about was just getting out."

Fire investigators and arson detectives were working to determine the cause of the fire. The victims were believed to have died of smoke inhalation, although the State Medical Examiner's Office will make the final determination, Cartwright said. He didn't know whether the home had working smoke alarms.

Tuesday's fire was one of the deadliest in Baltimore in recent years. In January, four people were killed in a fire, and in May 2007, a rowhouse fire killed eight in east Baltimore.

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Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Come on Chief PIO/Lier Kevin Cartwright why don't you also tell the News/Public who was all closed that night!!
EngineLadder,

Were companies normally assigned to the Box closed that night?
That is correct WestPhilly Truck 1 from the oldtown fire station was closed. The closers are on a rotating basis for example 33 engine is closed for 3 mondays in a row and is open every forth monday and then closed again. The city was lucky that last night was one of 33 engines open mondays. Also 4 engine that would have been on the 2nd alarm was closed. Another thing they do is close a single house and transfer a company in from a double house taking fire protection away from the double house first due. Its already killed a couple of people this year. But our PIO who was never a firefighter just keeps on lying to the news saying that response times do not matter. Last week on the first 5th alarm fire the 1st due truck truck 1 was closed and the truck that would have been 2nd due was closed permently last year 2 truck. Areant they doing the same crap in Philly?
Philly I sent you a messege with a lil you tube clip that shows how the rank and file of the BCFD feels about our command staff.
The very same things are going on in Philly and all over the country. (All the PIO's follow the same script: "Our response times are still within accepted limits and public safety is not being compromised.") Easy to say when you're not riding the backstep.
As the community rallies around the family of the 6 Code F's, we as a Brotherhood and BCFD need to rally around those unfortunate fiefighters that found them. I still see my 1st Code F vividly and that was over 20 years ago. I believe it was 2 adults and 4 children (someone from BCFD correct me if I'm wrong). Kids are always the hardest on the soul.
If any of the FF's from BCFD that were involved with this call are on this site, My thoughts are with you, stay strong. You belong to the Worlds Largest Fraternity and all of your Brothers and Sisters are here for you..you are not alone. If anyone from BCFD reads this, please pass it on to those it is meant for.
"Braithre Thar Gach Ni."
Phoenix

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