| The volunteers and career personnel of the New Windsor Fire Department responded Monday evening to a substantial commercial building fire with hazardous materials concerns in the 800 block of Baltimore Boulevard in Westminster.
At approximately 7:25 p.m., units were dispatched following reports of smoke coming from a commercial battery warehouse. Initial callers noted that smoke was visible from the roof and throughout the building, resulting in a rapid escalation of the incident.
Engine 101 responded to the first alarm assignment and arrived to find an active commercial structure fire involving a battery storage and warehouse facility. Because of the hazardous materials associated with lithium battery products stored inside, the response was quickly upgraded to include Hazardous Materials resources, bringing Haz-Mat 30 and Decon 30 to the scene.
Engine 101 was initially assigned to Roof Division, where crews performed vertical ventilation operations to help with fire suppression and improve conditions inside the structure. As conditions worsened and portions of the roof became unsafe, crews were ordered off the roof to maintain firefighter safety.
As the incident was escalated to a second alarm, Engine 102 arrived at the scene and was assigned to fire attack operations on the Delta side of the building. Firefighters from Engine 102 assisted with extinguishing the fire and interior operations as crews worked to contain the blaze within the commercial occupancy.
The New Windsor Fire Department deployed 15 volunteer firefighters and one Department of Fire and EMS career member to support fire suppression, ventilation, hazardous materials operations, and firefighter rehabilitation efforts.
Due to the presence of lithium-ion and lithium polymer battery products, extensive hazardous materials monitoring was conducted throughout the incident. Members of the New Windsor Fire Department were assigned to the Haz-Mat Branch and worked alongside Baltimore County Fire Department Hazmat 114 personnel to monitor and assess the building for hazardous conditions. Crews also developed and implemented a decontamination plan for firefighters working on the scene.
The fire was brought under control shortly before 9:40 p.m., with crews remaining on site for several hours to conduct overhaul, atmospheric monitoring, and coordinate with utility representatives and building officials.
In total, approximately 125 firefighters responded to the incident. Damages are estimated between 5 and 6 million dollars. The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office was requested to the scene and is currently investigating the origin and cause of the fire. |
