ATTN: Both the Cummings-MECU building and the Cummings Courthouse, are still without power after yesterday’s underground fire on Charles St.
These city buildings will be closed to the public & employees today. Impacted employees with the ability are being encouraged to telework.
— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) September 30, 2024
The underground fire that erupted in downtown Baltimore early Sunday morning has left streets closed and power outages lingering into Monday. Fire units responded to the 300 block of North Charles Street around 3:30 a.m. Sunday to address flames coming from a manhole at the intersection of Charles and Pleasant streets. While the fire was extinguished by 8:30 a.m., power outages persisted in the surrounding area Monday morning.
One firefighter was taken to the hospital with a minor injury, but no other injuries were reported. Local business owners expressed growing concerns over these recurring incidents, as this marks the third such event since 2018.
https://twitter.com/MayorBMScott/status/1840509466657079610
Shanea Shay, owner of Crazy Sweet Café, described the fire’s impact: “I heard the loud boom; I came out and you could see the fire coming out of the manhole.
It is impactful to my business, and I don’t know how long I can continue to survive like this.”
The ground beneath Baltimore sure does catch fire a lothttps://t.co/877zxub9rA
— Cody Boteler (@codyboteler) September 30, 2024
Why does the ground beneath North Charles Street keep catching fire?https://t.co/Pryqks7bEQ
— Julie Bykowicz (@bykowicz) September 30, 2024
Casey Jenkins, owner of Darker Than Blue Grill, spent part of Monday discarding spoiled food due to the power outage. “My cost swelled up to about $10,000,” Jenkins said. “First and foremost, I would like for it to stop happening.
Fire disrupts Baltimore businesses, roads
Second of all, give us some information, tell the community what’s going on.”
Mayor Brandon Scott highlighted the damage caused by the fire: “A fire in a manhole at Pleasant and Charles caused damage to a primary feeder and secondary main.” Since 2014, Baltimore City has experienced 10 similar incidents. Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) is investigating the cause but indicated that factors like aging infrastructure and water infiltration could trigger such fires.
BGE reported about 2,200 customers without power at noon Sunday but restored power to most by 10 p.m. that day. Mayor Scott has initiated a meeting to determine the root causes and coordinate with various utilities using the underground facilities. As of Monday morning, several streets remained closed:
– 300 block of North Charles Street between Mulberry and Fayette streets
– 300 block of St.
Paul Street between Mulberry and Lexington streets
– Mulberry Street between Liberty and St. Paul streets
– West Saratoga Street between Liberty and St. Paul streets
– Additional smaller side streets in the area
The Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the Baltimore City Mitchell, Cummings, and Juvenile courts are closed Monday due to the fire.
The Cummings-MECU building remains without power, and employees are encouraged to telework if possible. As residents and business owners cope with the aftermath, the city’s efforts to address the recurring infrastructure issues continue.
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