As Baltimore fire officials investigate the cause of a blaze that burned an entire block in the Park Heights neighborhood Thursday night, city officials and the Red Cross worked Friday to find housing for displaced families.
Fire spread quickly during one of the year's biggest snowstorms from a two-story end unit on the 5100 block of Cordelia Ave. to eight other rowhouses through a common loft, an architectural feature that persists in apartment buildings and some rowhomes, according to a fire department spokesman.
Thirty-nine residents left their homes, some assisted by neighbors, and no one was in need of rescue, said Fire Department Capt. Roman Clark. He said the neighbors took in each of the victims and offered them hot drinks.
About half the people on both sides of the block own their homes, some living there for years, and many are elderly, according to land and other public records. The unit where the fire started is not listed as a principal residence, and the owner could not be reached.
Clark couldn't say yet if residents would be allowed back into any of the homes.
The blaze was large and took at least two hours to get under control. Fire trucks were equipped with chains, and the equipment all worked well in the frigid temperatures, though snow and ice made the task "much more labor-intensive," Clark said.
Officials began sending firefighters back to their stations for dry clothes and "to thaw" once the fire was under control, Clark said. The last unit left the scene at about 9 p.m.
At least one house was vacant, but residents of six others were placed in hotels, where they can stay until Sunday.
The Red Cross arranged for food and other immediate needs and was working with city agencies on housing. The nonprofit also might make arrangements for older victims who lost medical equipment in the fire, said Brittany Fowler, a spokeswoman.
"Yesterday was about getting families stabilized and meeting their immediate needs for food, clothing, etc.," she said. "The next few days will be about a recovery plan, which really entails securing short and long-term housing."