Massive 7-alarm fire continues to burn at vacant Baltimore mattress warehouse
Edutor's Note: As of Tuesday May 14, the fire has been offically contained.
Firefighters in Baltimore, Maryland, are working to contain a massive blaze at a vacant mattress warehouse that temporarily shut down Amtrak service in the area overnight on May 12, the Baltimore City Fire Department said.
Crews responded to the scene at Edmondson Avenue and Bentalou Street in West Baltimore around 7 p.m. local time on May 12, Fire Chief James Wallace told reporters outside the building.
It was initially categorized as a 4-alarm fire before being upgraded to a 7-alarm fire later in the evening, according to social media statements from BCFD.
About 30 residents in the area were moved as a precautionary measure as more than 200 firefighters fought the blaze, Wallace told reporters in video shared by WBAL-TV 11.
In an update around 7 a.m. on May 13, BCFD said the fire remains contained to the original building. No injuries have been reported, and the cause remains to be determined.
"BCFD is operating with a third alarm equivalent continuing to chase hotspots and a deep seated fire in multiple locations," the update said.
Fire Chief: Vacant warehouse believed to be 'stacked full of mattresses'
Crews fighting the fire at the vacant warehouse in West Baltimore were "executing an exterior-only attack," BCFD said on social media.
Wallace said earlier on May 12 that the building has two floors below ground, so firefighters were working to stop the blaze from spreading horizontally across the building.
"It's a large basement area, it's the size of the building, and we're told it's stacked full of mattresses," Wallace told reporters.
He also said people in nearby residences were moved to a local fire station out of precaution so crews could "engage from behind their homes." Wallace said they requested Red Cross assistance to feed the displaced residents.
Amtrak service restored as crews fight fire in Baltimore
Amtrak train lines border one side of the vacant warehouse building on fire, Wallace said.
The lines were temporarily deenergized overnight but service has been restored and restricted to one line as of 7 a.m., BCFD said.
An Amtrak spokesperson told Paste BN in a statement that all service between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore has resumed but may experience a delay of up to 20 minutes "due to rail congestion and single tracking through the area."
"Amtrak apologizes for the delay and any inconvenience it may have caused," the statement said.
The route between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore runs along Amtrak's Northeast Regional line, which is the service's busiest route around the country, according to its 2024 ridership data.
This story has been updated to add new video.
Melina Khan is a trending reporter covering national news for Paste BN. She can be reached at MKhan@gannett.com.