The Baltimore Sun
BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — A three-alarm fire raged at a Baltimore County plastic company on Tuesday afternoon, drawing more than 200 firefighters to battle the blaze.
Thick black smoke streamed from the warehouse at Adell Plastics in the 4500 block of Annapolis Road in Baltimore Highlands. The smoke was visible for miles.
Plastic pellets stored in the warehouse were burning, said Lt. Paul Massarelli, a spokesman for the Baltimore County Fire Department.
@BACOPoliceFire PIO Paul Massarelli tells @ABC2NEWS about fire fighting progress at Ardell Plastics in #BaltimoreHighlands pic.twitter.com/OcVDngwen5
— Nadia Singh (@NadiaSinghNews) October 4, 2016
The fire was reported at 1:07 p.m., and the first crews saw smoke and fire before they even arrived and called for more crews. Once at the warehouse, firefighters called for a second alarm, Massarelli said.
When the first firefighters went inside, “the fire flashed over them” and they retreated outside and called for a third alarm, Massarelli said.
Crews w/ @BACOPoliceFire still dousing Adell Plastics in constant stream of water. 5 ladders up at least. @ABC2NEWS pic.twitter.com/wAj1A2WH18
— Brendan McNamara (@BrendanABC2) October 5, 2016
Firefighters attacked the fire from the outside because the building was unsafe, with some of the walls collapsing. Two hours after the fire began, fire was still shooting from part of the building as firefighters on ladder trucks poured water on the building from multiple angles.
All of the employees got out safely without injuries. One firefighter was being treated for heat exhaustion and had been taken to a hospital, Massarelli said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation and the amount of the damage wasn’t available. Massarelli said he expects the damage to be extensive.
Angela Glorioso, 34, was working in the warehouse when she said she saw an orange glow from a part of the building where there wouldn’t normally be any heat-related activity. The company takes plastic, melts it down, adds chemicals and turns it into pellets that are sold to other companies, she said.
Watch on #Periscope: 3-alarm building fire in Baltimore County / Adell Plastics https://t.co/UbLAC9Bvpm
— Northeast Bravest® (@nebravest) October 4, 2016
“I started screaming: ‘Fire! Fire! Fire!” Glorioso said.
Glorioso and the other warehouse workers scrambled out of the building. Glorioso said she called 911 and ran around to the front office to alert the staff to the fire.
Company officials at the scene declined to comment.
Baltimore Highlands fire is still burning. Expected to last for hours. pic.twitter.com/nXMqpACvLi
— Pamela Wood (@pwoodreporter) October 4, 2016
Shortly after 5 p.m., a team from BGE shut off a gas line and flames that had been shooting from one side of the building were no longer visible
More than 200 firefighters and dozens of pieces of equipment responded to the fire. Baltimore County crews came from as far away as Middle River. Crews also came from Baltimore City, Howard County, Anne Arundel County and BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.
Massarelli said it would take several more hours to bring the fire under control.
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