5-alarm fire under control in Baltimore

avatar for samsung1
samsung1
Ohio
Cause of the blaze under investigation; no injuries reported

BALTIMORE — A five-alarm blaze that broke out in Baltimore's adult-entertainment district on Monday afternoon, spread quickly and sent thick smoke billowing throughout downtown was brought under control in the early evening, city fire officials said.
Battalion Chief Kevin Cartwright, a spokesman for the city fire department, said Monday's fire started about 4 p.m. in a three-story building in the area known as The Block, then spread to five or six structures. It was brought under control at about 7 p.m. and downgraded to two alarms, he said.
Firefighters focused on hotspots as the evening progressed, saturating the area to make sure all hidden fire was extinguished. Firefighters will be at the location throughout the night.

Cartwright said the cause of the fire was under investigation. No injuries were reported, and there was no damage estimate Monday evening.
More than 100 firefighters, paramedics, command and support staff battled the blaze.
Gray smoke had billowed out of at least one of the buildings, blanketing downtown; firefighters on ladders and cranes sprayed water onto the flames.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said city buildings near the fire would be inspected for smoke damage.
Fire Chief James S. Clack said that four buildings on Baltimore Street did not appear to have sprinklers, which were not required by the city at the time of their construction, The Baltimore Sun reported.
Joanna Trela, 38, a law firm office manager who works on the 27th floor of a nearby building, said she looked out the window and spotted the fire after an attorney in her firm suggested that something was wrong with the ventilation system.
"We smelled it," Trela said.

"The most frustrating part is, they shut down the parking garage, so nobody in our building can leave, so we're all kind of hanging out," Trela said at one point.
Alex LeBlanc, a management consultant who works a few blocks away, was pulling into a parking garage when he saw the thick clouds of smoke.
"I haven't seen smoke like that before. From three blocks away, it was just black," LeBlanc said.
The Block is a neighborhood of strip clubs with gaudy lights, including Larry Flynt's Hustler Club. Some of the venues are historical theaters. The area is located between Baltimore City Hall and the Inner Harbor.
The area is no stranger to fires. The Baltimore fire of 1904, which destroyed much of the city, also wiped out The Block, which then had offices and clothing stores, The Sun reported. A movie house complex was built at 404 E. Baltimore Street, where Monday's fire is believed to have started at the Gayety Show World.
Fires broke out in the area in 1935 and in the late 1960s.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40538609/

12 comments

Jump to latest
avatar for steve229
steve229
14 years ago
Baltimore Sun story with video:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/marylan…
avatar for samsung1
samsung1
14 years ago
steve have you been to The Block before? Baltimore is listed as one of the top strip club destinations here on TUSCL
avatar for steve229
steve229
14 years ago
Sam - I had nothing to do with the fire (cough, cough), if that's what you mean, lol.

I've made the pilgrammage to "The Block" (as every hobbiest should at some point), but it wasn't my scene. To quote the great Wallanon, " I'd stay off The Block unless I knew what I was going down there for."
avatar for txtittyfan
txtittyfan
14 years ago
Must have had some pretty intense "friction" in the dance to generate so much heat.
avatar for bmoreshowgirl
bmoreshowgirl
14 years ago
I was actually working when the fire broke out. I got a large amount of photos and video from the Hustler Club windows before the police came and had us evacuate the building. While I'm relieved that we're not suffering from anything more than smoke damage, I have to express my sympathy for the girls working in the clubs across the street. The Blue Mirror (formerly Mouse Trap II) was only open for about a month before all of this happened and, while there are still other clubs on the block, it's really unfortunate to see such an historic building completely destroyed. I really doubt anything will be salvaged. :(
avatar for CTQWERTY
CTQWERTY
14 years ago
"bmore" stands up for history! Seems to write reasonably well too. Founder ought to hire her as the site curator.
avatar for Dudester
Dudester
14 years ago
Baltimore has one of the best trained fire departments in the country. Baltimore sets the standard that many fire departments try to follow.

I agree with QWERTY. bmoreshowgirl, can you post your pics/video for us to see ?
avatar for steve229
steve229
14 years ago
"Baltimore has one of the best trained fire departments in the country"

That explains it - I was wondering why we hadn't heard anything about the firefighters being distracted by scanty clad women fleeing the clubs.
avatar for bmoreshowgirl
bmoreshowgirl
14 years ago
Dudester - I uploaded a few of them. They're in my photos.
avatar for samsung1
samsung1
14 years ago
I wonder if any clubs are going to be throwing parties to celebrate their reopenings. They are losing thousands of dollars by not being able to open and even when they do reopen it might be difficult to attract customers. Hope they don't try to increase prices to make up for the loss, the $50 lap dance prices are already high enough.
avatar for bmoreshowgirl
bmoreshowgirl
14 years ago
We haven't increased prices on anything. It's frustrating though. Apparently the ATF, while investigating the fire, is telling people that we're closed. Hustler is definitely not closed. This is just like any other business. We've had one guest all day because most people don't know we have a side entrance.
avatar for Cheo_D
Cheo_D
14 years ago
Here's hoping things pick up, bmoreshowgirl. I lived many years (79-93) in Charm City (and still drop by once in a while) and The Block was, well, quite the "formative influence" in my younger days.
You must be a member to leave a comment.Join Now