Baltimore Firefighter Injured Battling Two-Alarmer

A firefighter suffered a minor shoulder injury while battling a two-alarm blaze in a vacant, three-story apartment building in Northwest Baltimore on Wednesday evening, according to a Fire Department spokesman.

Firefighters were first dispatched to the 3700 block of Fords Lane in the city's Glen neighborhood about 6:17 p.m. for reports of flames, and found fire and smoke coming from the building's third floor, said Chief Kevin Cartwright, the spokesman.

Firefighters entered the building, which "looks like it may have been an apartment building some time ago" but is unoccupied, Cartwright said, and began hosing down the flames.

A search and rescue team also searched the building for occupants but found none, Cartwright said.

While fighting the blaze, a firefighter suffered a minor shoulder injury and was transported to Mercy Medical Center, Cartwright said.

The fire rose to the level of two alarms, bringing a total of about 65 firefighters to the scene, but was placed under control about 6:50 p.m., Cartwright said.

There were no other injuries, but multiple firefighters had their vital signs checked and spent time in air-conditioned vehicles to cool down as a precaution, as evening temperatures remained high, Cartwright said.

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