Four firefighters inside the burning home became trapped when the building partially collapsed, according to a tweet from Ford.
One firefighter was immediately pulled out and transferred to the University of Maryland Medical Center’s Shock Trauma Center, where he was in serious condition, Niles said at the news conference, while three others remained trapped inside the structure.
Two of the firefighters were taken to the Shock Trauma Center, where they were pronounced dead, Niles said. The fourth firefighter was pronounced dead at the scene.
The fire chief identified the three deceased firefighters as Baltimore City Fire Department Lt. Paul Butrim, firefighter/paramedic Kelsey Sadler and EMT/firefighter Kenny Lacayo.
EMT/firefighter John McMaster is on life support in the intensive care unit at Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland Dr. Thomas Scalea said at the news conference.
Scalea said Sadler and Lacayo suffered cardiac arrest at the scene of the fire and were pronounced dead at the hospital.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
“Today, Baltimore has lost three of the bravest among us who made the ultimate sacrifice for our city,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said at the news conference. “This is a gut-wrenching tragedy for our city, for our fire department and most importantly for the families of our firefighters.”
“These aren’t just members of the Baltimore City Fire Department, these are our heroes,” Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby said.
“We can’t allow this incident today, this horrific incident, to go in vain. But we must ensure that we appreciate the job that they do on a daily basis.”
