Baltimore City firefighters are urging the public to prioritise fire safety following two fatal fires this week, both of which were likely preventable. The first fire broke out early on Christmas morning in Joppatowne.
At 6:51 a.m., firefighters rushed to a fire on Doncaster Road, where they discovered a male victim, later identified as Butash, deceased in the home’s basement.
Courtney Butash, daughter of the Joppatowne fire victim, stepped up, saying: “When I woke up, my room’s smoke alarms went off. “My room was filled with smoke, and my first instinct was to jump up and grab my child,” Courtney Butash told 11 News on Thursday. “I’m standing at the top of our foyer when I hear my father say, ‘Courtney, help.’ That’s where the fire was, downstairs. Call 911.'”
She describes having to make a hard decision.
“I was faced with one of those dilemmas where you’re like, ‘What do I do?’ You know, I have my baby, and my maternal instincts kicked in, and my No. 1 priority was getting him out of the home, and all I could say to him was, ‘Daddy, I’m trying.’
” Roger Butash, 68, was stuck downstairs and unable to leave. He died in the fire.
“My father was a great joker. “He always had something snarky to say,” Courtney Butash told 11 News.
“I never would have expected that this is what Christmas was going to be like.”
She also lost three cats and two hedgehogs in the fire, which authorities said began at a surge protector.
Investigators found no indication of operating smoke detectors in the home. Acting State Fire Marshal Jason Mowbray offered his condolences, saying:
“I, and every member of the Office of the State Fire Marshal, send our heartfelt condolences to the victim’s family and friends. It is a tragic day in Harford County.”
Following the event, John Marsh, a spokesperson for the Baltimore City Fire Department, emphasised the critical role smoke alarms play in fire safety.
“Working smoke alarms are a critical part of a home fire escape plan,” Marsh said us.
“Three out of five fire deaths occur in homes without smoke alarms or where smoke alarms fail to function properly.”
The second tragic fire occurred early Friday morning in Baltimore’s Waverly neighbourhood, when firefighters arrived at 3:30 a.m. to find a rowhome engulfed in fire. Despite their attempts, a 63-year-old woman was killed in the rapidly developing, three-alarm fire.
In one case, firemen said working smoke alarms played an important role in alerting neighbours to the fire, potentially saving more lives. Witnesses observed flames spreading quickly, reaching the porch and endangering neighbouring homes.
A woman and her son escaped through a rear door, but many surrounding rowhouses were severely damaged.
In reaction to the Waverly fire, firefighters conducted a safety sweep on Saturday, going door-to-door along East 38th Street distributing smoke detectors.
The Baltimore City Fire Department provides free smoke alarms to homes. To request one, city residents can dial 3-1-1, and firefighters will install it.
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