BALTIMORE — More than 200 firefighters battled a massive blaze that broke out at a west Baltimore warehouse, disrupting Amtrak service in the area and prompting officials to move dozens of area residents.
Commuter rail service was canceled Tuesday amid fears the building could collapse onto railroad tracks.
Firefighters were dispatched to the multistory mattress warehouse at Edmondson Avenue and Bentalou Street around 7 p.m. Monday and found heavy fire, the Baltimore City Fire Department said in a social media post. About 30 residents of nearby homes were temporarily evacuated.
By Tuesday morning, the fire had been contained to the building, but firefighters were chasing hot spots and a deep-seated fire in multiple locations, fire department spokesperson John Marsh said. No injuries had been reported.
The cause has not been determined, and officials were still working to figure out where the fire started, Fire Chief James Wallace said at a news conference Tuesday. City and state officials will investigate, and Wallace said he has asked for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to take the lead, he said.
''The ATF brings a ton of resources for us, and given the size and scope of the fire, the fact that we disrupted rail service, it's very appropriate that we bring all hands on deck to investigate the cause of this fire,'' he said.
Officials believe that part of the building may have been in use and part may have been vacant, but they didn't have information about the building's history, he said.
''It's been years since we've had a fire of that magnitude — seven alarms,'' Wallace said. But it was necessary to bring in additional resources, including aerial ladders and a heavier water flow, he said.
