Chief: 3 Baltimore firefighters killed in vacant home blaze

Associated Press
Monday, Jan. 24, 2022 11:38 p.m. | Monday, Jan. 24, 2022 11:38 p.m.

The Baltimore Sun

Baltimore City firefighters embrace at the scene of a vacant row house fire Monday in Baltimore.

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People embrace one another after a deceased firefighter was put into an ambulance after being pulled out of a collapsed building while battling a two-alarm fire at a vacant row home, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022, in Baltimore. Officials said several firefighters died during the blaze.

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A Baltimore firefighter holds balloons given to him by neighbor Darlene Cucina as a group of fire officials sit on a stoop across the street where several firefighters died in a building collapse while battling a two-alarm blaze in a vacant row home, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022, in Baltimore.

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Firefighters embrace each other after a deceased firefighter was pulled out of a building collapse while battling a two-alarm fire in a vacant row home, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022, in Baltimore. Officials said several firefighters died during the blaze.

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Firefighters salute as an ambulance carries a deceased firefighter after they were pulled out of a collapsed building while battling a two-alarm fire at a vacant row home, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022, in Baltimore. Officials said several firefighters died during the blaze.

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A fire official looks through a hole in a wall as officials try to retrieve the body of a deceased firefighter trapped in a building collapse while battling a two-alarm fire in a vacant row home, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022, in Baltimore.

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Firefighters bow their heads as a prayer is said after one of their own who died while battling a two-alarm fire in a vacant row home was pulled from the collapsed building, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022, in Baltimore. Officials said several firefighters died during the blaze.

BALTIMORE — Three Baltimore firefighters were killed and a fourth was injured when part of a vacant home collapsed while they were battling a blaze early Monday, the city’s fire chief said.

The Baltimore City Fire Department said in a tweet that firefighters were responding to a blaze at the three-story rowhome when the four were trapped inside. Crews removed piles of debris to locate the firefighters, the department said.

Chief Niles R. Ford told a news conference that injured firefighter John McMaster was pulled from the rowhome immediately and taken to the hospital, where he was listed in critical condition Monday afternoon. Dr. Thomas Scalea of Maryland Shock Trauma said McMaster was on life support.

“Fingers crossed that he’s going to make it and be just fine,” Scalea said. “It’s hard to know at this point.”

Today, Lt. Paul Butrim, FF Kelsey Sadler & FF Kenny Lacayo lost their lives in service to our city. FF John McMaster remains in the hospital in critical but stable condition. We will continue to pray for the family of those we lost. pic.twitter.com/cRGXp1YwNp

— Baltimore Fire (@BaltimoreFire) January 25, 2022

Two other firefighters were pronounced dead at the hospital, Ford said. The fourth trapped firefighter was pronounced dead at the scene, the chief said, his voice breaking at times. Ford identified the dead as Lt. Paul Butrim, firefighter/paramedic Kelsey Sadler and EMT/firefighter Kenny Lacayo.

Three Baltimore firefighters were killed and one remains in critical condition following a fire and partial building collapse early this morning. Baltimore’s mayor confirmed the news, and there’s no word yet on the cause of the fire, which remains under investigation. pic.twitter.com/HGAXzY4vga

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 24, 2022

Scalea said Sadler and Lacayo suffered cardiac arrest at the scene and couldn’t be resuscitated. “Today, Baltimore has lost three of the bravest among us,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. “Baltimore owes them the deepest gratitude and respect that we can offer anybody.”

No words. @BaltimoreFire @BCFDL734 pic.twitter.com/gDKN18mFfv

— Bill Rehkopf (@BillRehkopf) January 25, 2022

Photographs from the scene showed firefighters being consoled by their comrades. Later, an excavator cleared the remaining debris, leaving a gap between two rowhouses.

Three firefighters were injured battling a blaze at the same location in 2015, The Baltimore Sun reported.