Evening Edition Thursday 10/11/12

CHECK OUT TODAY'S MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR

Fatal House Fire Kills Five
A deadly fire killed a grandmother and four of her grandchildren in northeast Baltimore early Thursday morning. A baby thrown from a window is said to be doing well. A man who jumped out a second floor window is doing not so well. He's currently in critical condition.

A Baltimore City firefighter fell through the second floor into the basement of the house while fighting the fire. It was a long drop but my sources tell me his injuries are non-life-threatening and he's expected to be fine.

In a second, unrelated fire which occurred on the 1400 block of Bonsal St, a Baltimore fire lieutenant suffered severe third degree burns to numerous parts of his body. He's currently being treated at Bayview Burn Unit. Ironically, Baltimore Fire Company Squad 11, now disbanded, used to be based at Bayview. They would have been the second company due on this fire.

Both fires were about an hour apart. Emergency two-way radio audio of fire units on the scene can be hear here.

Also, the president of the Baltimore Firefighers Union, Local 734 expressed concern the department is being asked to do too much with too little.



Civil Rights Leader And Long Serving Lawmaker Clarence Mitchell III Has Died 

Popular talk show host C4 shared heartfelt thoughts and memories of his father, you can listen to it here.

Former state Senator Clarence M. Mitchell III, was a cofounder of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). He also worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His biography is far too vast to do justice in this space.



Baltimore Police

Police Commissioner Anthony Batts, the man with a plan.

Major Change? -- Who can be sure what it all really means, but in one tweet from Baltimore Police we learned two things. First, my initial question as to whether new Police Commissioner Anthony Batts would be a uniform man or a suit and tie man seems to be answered with a grainy cell phone pic, sent out on the official department twitter. He's a suit guy. That's all he's been seen in since he got here.

Secondly, in his first announced official major change to the department, the rank of Deputy Major has been batted away and will be replaced with the rank of Captain. For some odd reason, the sinking ship that is Baltimore Police has been without a captain for a long, long time.

Also, Fenton says via twitter, at a meeting today, before Batts came to Baltimore, thanks to google alerts he thought it was an absolute, out of control, hell-hole, cesspool crime pit, but now that he's here he's pleased crime seems to be going down.

Baltimore PoliceVerified‏@BaltimorePolice

Effective today, PC Batts has reinstated appointed rank of Captain within BPD. Dep Majors will now be known as Captainspic.twitter.com/hb2VLOwI

Related articles

• East Baltimore death in police custody ruled a homicide
• 16-Year-Old Girl Dies In Baltimore Shooting
• Editorial: Has The Mayor No Shame? -- BALTIMORE DESERVES BETTER
• Acting Baltimore police commissioner taking medical leave

Down And Out! -- Baltimore Fire Department Stretched Thin

With the permanent closure of two fire companies earlier this year, it's hard to imagine how having less available units to respond could make the city safer. Pictured below is Engine Company 52, near Mondawmin Mall. It suffered a mechanical breakdown around 7 a.m. this morning, and as of 3:20 p.m. this afternoon, it's been sitting immobilized in the same spot, waiting for a tow truck all day. Currently there are no backup or reserve units available to take it's place.

Baltimore City Fire Dept. Respond To Early Morning House Fire

Story, photo and video by A.F. James MacArthur 

  

An early morning fire left the residents of a north Baltimore home displaced after their two-level, single family home was gutted by flames.

Baltimore Fire Department responded rapidly to the one alarm fire. Within minutes crews were laying out water hoses, while ground ladders were placed against the house and a truck extended its long ladder onto the roof.

Thick smoke billowed from upper windows and the roof of the house, as neighborhood residents stood outside on a chilly night to watch. From the observations of this writer, the bulk of the fire seemed to be centered on the second floor of the house.

By all appearances there were no injuries to occupants or fire fighters. An arson investigator from the fire department was seen arriving as this writer departed.

The fire was extinguished in less than hour with damage restricted to the structure of origin. It should be noted, Engine 31, the first due engine for this fire was once shut down out-of-service for nearly a year. Were it not reopened, response times to this fire could have possibly been affected.

Related articles

• Search Is On For Suspects In Northeast Baltimore Firebomb Attacks
• Two Alarm Fire In East Baltimore

Public Safety Spectator: House Fire

*1 ALARM FIRE* Box 53-1 100 blk Westowne Rd, SW Balto; 2 story end unit rowhome, fire 2nd fl. Ops FG-1. #baltfire -- BCFDL734 (@BCFDL734)