Baltimore First Responders Rush to Contain Fire in City’s Wood Refuse Area

Baltimore firefighters last night rushed to the scene of a fire spotted at a wood waste collection yard run by the city.

At approximately 5:10 p.m. on Thursday, December 5, a Baltimore parks department employee called 911 after observing a small fire on the property, known as Camp Small.

Baltimore City firefighters arrived on the scene to find that high wind and the significant amount of wood refuse in a condensed area caused the fire to grow significantly in a short amount of time.

Camp Small is a 5-acre site located in the Jones Falls Valley just north of Cold Spring Lane. Every day, city crews and contractors bring logs, chips, and brush to the site for processing and recycling.

Mayor Brandon M. Scott said the current priorities are protecting the surrounding area and containing the fire.

The Baltimore City Fire Department has 12 engine companies on site and more than 100 firefighters. The mayor said the city has brought in heavy machinery from multiple agencies and state and county responders are also on scene.

According to the city, there have been no reported injuries and evacuations are not expected to be necessary.

Commuters were told to expect heavy traffic and road closures in the area around the fire.