Wind-driven brushfire at Baltimore wood recycling yard closes expressway, light rail, schools

BALTIMORE (AP) — Firefighters were battling a massive, wind-driven brushfire at a Baltimore wood recycling yard that closed a section of the expressway into the city’s downtown, the neighboring light rail line and nearby roads and schools on Friday morning.

Crews were called to the Camp Small yard, where large trees and logs are stacked about 30 feet (about nine meters) high, after 5 p.m. Thursday, Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace said at a briefing.

“When they got here, they discovered a rapidly evolving fire that was in a large pile of trees and logs in a large area. This stage is just that, lots of trees, logs, stumps and things like that,” Wallace said. “This has been a challenge because it’s been a wind-driven fire. It’s very, very difficult for us to get out ahead of it.”

About 100 to 125 firefighters were battling the fire on Thursday night and while the fire was not under control, Wallace said crews had gained an upper hand. Firefighters planned to move heavy equipment in to try to cut a ring around the fire to contain it once they had more control, he said.

Interstate 83 and the neighboring light rail line were shut down in the area and two nearby high schools were closed Friday, Mayor Brandon Scott said at a briefing. Officials didn’t anticipate a need for evacuations in the area.