Massive Baltimore brushfire closes roads, rail, schools
A massive, wind-driven brushfire erupted at a wood recycling yard in Baltimore, Maryland, on Thursday evening.
The persistent blaze lead to widespread disruptions, including the closure of sections of Interstate 83, the neighboring light rail line and nearby schools in Woodberry, north Baltimore.
Firefighters responded to the fire at around 5 p.m. at Camp Small, where trees and logs were stacked in piles approximately 30 feet high. Locals have been told to avoid the area until the flames are fully under control. No injuries have been reported despite the extent of the blaze.
Only the ramps to Cold Spring Lane remain closed.
Kenneth K. Lam/The Baltimore Sun via AP
Fire Chief Describes ‘Difficult’ Conditions
Twelve teams containing 100-120 firefighters fought the flames overnight.
Crews planned to use heavy equipment to create a containment ring around the fire once it was more controlled.
“When they got here, they discovered a rapidly evolving fire that was in a large pile of trees and logs in a large area,” Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace said.
“It’s very, very difficult for us to get out ahead of it.”
The fire was contained by around 6 a.m. Friday, allowing officials to reopen both northbound and southbound lanes of Interstate 83. However, two nearby high schools remained closed and fireworks scheduled for a downtown holiday celebration were canceled.
Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Banner via AP
‘Plan Accordingly and Avoid the Area’
For now, the fire department is recommending using navigation apps like Waze to plan any detours.
Waze can be highly effective in the context of avoiding closures caused by various accidents including fires, due to community-driven data from events being recorded and verified in real time.
Mayor of Baltimore Brandon M. Scott continued to post updates throughout the day on X, formerly Twitter.
“Light Rail stops from North Avenue to Falls Road will be closed. Poly and Western both closed for the day. LocalLink 28 will detour. Expect delays and traffic. Please plan accordingly and avoid the area,” he posted at 8:11 EST.
BALTIMORE — there are still significant impacts remaining from the fire ongoing at Coldspring Lane.
Coldspring remains closed between Greenspring and Falls.
I-83 has been cleared to reopen — but please use caution and, for safety, avoid slowing the flow of traffic to spectate. pic.twitter.com/R2PmEp9gB7
— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) December 6, 2024
Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Banner via AP
State Sees Spike in Brushfire Activity
Camp Small, operated by the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks, was launched in 2016 to serve as the city’s as a wood waste collection site, where city crews and contractors bring in parts for processing.
Logs, branches and other tree debris are processed there into lumber and mulch.
The latest incident follows a series of brushfires in Maryland, attributed to dry conditions and high winds. At one point the state had tripled its 10-year average of seven fires a month.
Each region of Maryland has witnessed at least one brushfire since the beginning of November. Following this, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources issued a statewide ban on open-air burning due to increased fire risks on the East coast.
“They’re burning deep into the ground, which creates a lot of problems. They’re not easily extinguishable,” said Maryland Forest Service State Fire Supervisor Chris Robertson at the time.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
