Firefighter injured in second-alarm fire in West Baltimore, BCFD says

A Baltimore firefighter was taken to the hospital during a second-alarm fire overnight in West Baltimore.

The Baltimore City Fire Department said the fire started just after 10:30 p.m. Friday at the 3200 block of Garrison Boulevard, not far from Liberty Elementary School. 

One BCFD member sustained a minor injury and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment before the fire was under control, the fire department said. 

Officials had advised people to avoid the area. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

"...we are the lowest paid..."

Firefighters in Baltimore City reportedly experienced a dramatic drop in morale in 2025.

Many had to work an "extreme amount of overtime" due to staffing shortages, according to Matthew Coster, the president of Baltimore Firefighters IAFF Local 734.

He also noted that data from the city shows that firefighters in the city receive salaries that are below the median, compared to other counties in Maryland, such as Anne Arundel and Howard.

"Comparing ourselves to surrounding jurisdictions, we are the lowest paid, but yet, we are the busiest in the state, if not the country, when it comes to calls per capita," Coster said. 

In November, Coster told WJZ's Janay Reece that he had reached out to Mayor Brandon Scott on numerous occasions yet hadn't heard back.

"Our members are out there doing the work day in and day out, and we just want the city to acknowledge that," he added. 

In December, Baltimore City firefighters were awarded $2,687,779 from the state of Maryland for new gear and training.