Historical Fires RSS

SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 1963, was the busiest day for fire responses in the history of the Anne Arundel County, Maryland, fire service. During the month of April the nation’s northeast was experiencing one of the greatest spring droughts on record. From Georgia to Maine there had been very little rainfall. With no more than a couple drops of rainfall since April 1, the morning’s temperature was already registering in the mid-seventies and was expected to rise to the mid-eighties mark later in the day. (Maryland’s fire danger rating on this day was a Class 5 with a fire spread index...

ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1964, a Three-alarm fire burned down a wooden barn and damaged two others at the Laurel Race Course located just north of Route #198 near Brock Bridge Road in the Maryland City section of Laurel, Anne Arundel County, MD. (Photo - John Floyd II) Thirty-four* top-ranked horses worth over $250,000 were destroyed. Stable hands discovered the fire in Barn 21 at around 9:30 P.M. Barn 21 was one of the many 250 feet long one-story wooden stables each containing stalls for up to 60 horses. The fire was first noticed in a “feed room” where bails...

ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1,1959, fire companies responded to the Brookwood Farms Dairy Bar and Restaurant located on the southeast corner of Ritchie Highway and Mountain road, Pasadena, Anne Arundel County, MD (almost on the same spot where today’s Double “T” Diner is located – different building) (From FB "I remember Harundale when there was a mall." Credit to the photographer)  It was said that flames from the fire, that started in the kitchen, spread rapidly through the one-story ordinary-constructed-built building (cinderblock and wood) rose 35’ in the air at the height of the fire. (Photo - AACoFD)  Fifteen fire companies...

ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1958, a major fire broke out in the A&P Supermarket on the east side of Crain Highway, two blocks north of B&A Boulevard, Glen Burnie, Anne Arundel County, MD. Flames and smoke were discovered at 5:55 P.M. in the ceiling over the store’s meat market area. Approximately 50 customers and employees were in the store at the time of the fire. Despite a rapidly advancing fire, the evacuation was orderly and there was no panic. Customers with purchases were checked out by the store’s cashiers before leaving the building. Fifteen county fire companies along with Water...

ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 1959, a two-alarm fire struck three businesses located on and adjacent to the southwest corner of Crain Highway and B&A Blvd., Glen Burnie, Anne Arundel County, Maryland. A fire which started in the rear of the Western Auto store on Crain Highway, spread to the W.B.&A. Restaurant (Located on the corner), next door and caused smoke damage to the Glen Theater on B&A Blvd. Company 33 (Glen Burnie) was notified of the fire at approximately 10:30 A.M. When Company 33 arrived on the scene, Engineman Forrest (Bunky) Warren reported seeing flames shooting upward from two barrels...