In teams of three, firefighters wearing blue oxygen tanks prepared to go into the tunnel, following a path of light from a nearby truck's headlights. They put on black face masks as an extra precaution against possibly poisonous fumes.
"We're gearing up, and bottling up," one shouted to the others.
Minutes later, just before 10 p.m., they turned off the hose that had been pouring a steady stream of water into the south end of the railroad tunnel and started to head in. Asked if he was worried, one of the firefighters shrugged and said, "It's part of the job."
The smoky chaos under Howard Street after yesterday's chemical fire presented unusual dangers for firefighters who were unsure what they would face. Their initial attempts to go in the blackened tunnel caused them to quickly abort and head back out.
"There were some initial attempts to enter, but the smoke and heat were too great and we took defensive positions. We don't know what was burning," said acting Baltimore Fire Chief Carl E. McDonald, who was at the scene along with Mayor Martin O'Malley.
Firefighters' biggest worry centered on the dangers of entering a closed area with a limited oxygen supply: The tanks on their backs carried about 30 to 45 minutes of air. And the atmosphere inside the tunnel was thick with smoke containing possible chemicals.
"There's some pretty nasty stuff in there," O'Malley said. "I thought about how lucky we are to have brave firefighters who grab a hose and walk into a tunnel with smoke billowing out of it, not knowing how far they'll get before there might be an explosion."
For firefighters, it all began about 4:15 yesterday afternoon with a report to the city fire department of a train accident.
Within minutes, several trucks and engines arrived at the north end of the tunnel, near Mount Royal Station, for a "size up" -- a quick accounting of the situation, how serious it had become and what would be needed to bring it under control.
Thirty to 40 seconds later, the sixth battalion hazardous materials task force -- a team of about three dozen firefighters from Wagner's Point in South Baltimore, were called to duty. In all, about 125 city fire personnel were on the scene yesterday, but those fighting the fire inside the tunnel were from the sixth battalion, said city fire Battalion Chief Hector L. Torres.
The job was made more difficult since the fire was inside a tunnel about 1 1/2 miles long, thwarting attempts for easy access.
Moreover, firefighters would be dealing not only with several hazardous materials but also an unknown combination of them. But it was just that kind of situation that the hazardous materials team is trained to handle.
Torres said that the firefighters were sent into the tunnel from a staging area at the Mount Royal station in small teams, wearing protective "encapsulated" suits and using thermal-imaging devices.
The gear proved somewhat unwieldy. The suits have a self-contained air tank, which usually lasts up to 45 minutes, depending on the physical conditions of the firefighter. When the level of oxygen gets down to about a quarter tank, firefighters are alerted by an alarm and a vibration.
Firefighters worked in small teams, with a backup in case something went wrong and there was the need for a rescue, Torres said.
As part of their approach, the firefighters establish "zones," such as a "hot zone" where the firefighters have to be in their protective gear and a "warm zone" where less protection is needed. A "cold zone" is farther away from the danger and provides backup support.
The five-alarm fire brought out about 40 pieces of fire equipment, including engines, trucks, command vehicles and other apparatus.
A firefighter at the scene said the dangers of chemicals had him worried.
"We usually deal with dwelling fires, and I'd much rather be doing that," he said. "With chemicals, you don't know what you're dealing with, and by the time you do, it's too late."
Shortly before 11 p.m., three sweaty and grimy firefighters who had been inside the tunnel walked to a grassy area outside the Camden Yards warehouse and, exhausted, laid down on the ground.
When one was asked how he was feeling, he replied, "I'm OK."
"We're gearing up, and bottling up," one shouted to the others.
The smoky chaos under Howard Street after yesterday's chemical fire presented unusual dangers for firefighters who were unsure what they would face. Their initial attempts to go in the blackened tunnel caused them to quickly abort and head back out.
"There were some initial attempts to enter, but the smoke and heat were too great and we took defensive positions. We don't know what was burning," said acting Baltimore Fire Chief Carl E. McDonald, who was at the scene along with Mayor Martin O'Malley.
Firefighters' biggest worry centered on the dangers of entering a closed area with a limited oxygen supply: The tanks on their backs carried about 30 to 45 minutes of air. And the atmosphere inside the tunnel was thick with smoke containing possible chemicals.
"There's some pretty nasty stuff in there," O'Malley said. "I thought about how lucky we are to have brave firefighters who grab a hose and walk into a tunnel with smoke billowing out of it, not knowing how far they'll get before there might be an explosion."
For firefighters, it all began about 4:15 yesterday afternoon with a report to the city fire department of a train accident.
Within minutes, several trucks and engines arrived at the north end of the tunnel, near Mount Royal Station, for a "size up" -- a quick accounting of the situation, how serious it had become and what would be needed to bring it under control.
Thirty to 40 seconds later, the sixth battalion hazardous materials task force -- a team of about three dozen firefighters from Wagner's Point in South Baltimore, were called to duty. In all, about 125 city fire personnel were on the scene yesterday, but those fighting the fire inside the tunnel were from the sixth battalion, said city fire Battalion Chief Hector L. Torres.
The job was made more difficult since the fire was inside a tunnel about 1 1/2 miles long, thwarting attempts for easy access.
Moreover, firefighters would be dealing not only with several hazardous materials but also an unknown combination of them. But it was just that kind of situation that the hazardous materials team is trained to handle.
Torres said that the firefighters were sent into the tunnel from a staging area at the Mount Royal station in small teams, wearing protective "encapsulated" suits and using thermal-imaging devices.
The gear proved somewhat unwieldy. The suits have a self-contained air tank, which usually lasts up to 45 minutes, depending on the physical conditions of the firefighter. When the level of oxygen gets down to about a quarter tank, firefighters are alerted by an alarm and a vibration.
Firefighters worked in small teams, with a backup in case something went wrong and there was the need for a rescue, Torres said.
As part of their approach, the firefighters establish "zones," such as a "hot zone" where the firefighters have to be in their protective gear and a "warm zone" where less protection is needed. A "cold zone" is farther away from the danger and provides backup support.
The five-alarm fire brought out about 40 pieces of fire equipment, including engines, trucks, command vehicles and other apparatus.
A firefighter at the scene said the dangers of chemicals had him worried.
"We usually deal with dwelling fires, and I'd much rather be doing that," he said. "With chemicals, you don't know what you're dealing with, and by the time you do, it's too late."
Shortly before 11 p.m., three sweaty and grimy firefighters who had been inside the tunnel walked to a grassy area outside the Camden Yards warehouse and, exhausted, laid down on the ground.
When one was asked how he was feeling, he replied, "I'm OK."
