Multiple people rescued after fire at Baltimore County high-rise apartment
Multiple people were rescued after a three-alarm fire broke out on the third floor of a high-rise apartment complex on Monday in Baltimore County. At least nine people were taken to the hospital.
The fire was sparked in a recycling area on the third floor of the Berkshires at Town Center Apartments, in the 200 block of E. Joppa Road in Towson, according to Baltimore County Fire Chief Joseph Dixon.
Firefighters extinguished the fire and worked to clear some of the smoke from the building.
"Now we are just doing our due diligence and clearing the smoke because the smoke is also a hazard, and making sure there are no other surprises within the building," Dixon said.
Dixon said neighboring fire departments and volunteer fire departments assisted due to the size of the complex.
"We were going to make sure we had a response of what we expected we needed," Dixon said.
2026 fire-related deaths in Baltimore County
Baltimore County has had several devastating fires within the first month of 2026, including three fire-related deaths.
Two young children -- ages 6 months and 4 years -- were killed in recent fires.
This past weekend, 6-month-old Sophia Rivera-Cortes died, and three other people were hospitalized following a fire in the 1000 block of Foxcroft Lane in Essex.
Earlier this month, 4-year-old Wyatt Martin died after a fire in the 100 block of Comet Court in Parkville.
On Jan. 4, a 76-year-old woman, identified as Julia Ann Anderson, died following a fire in the 1700 block of Weston Avenue in Parkville.
The Baltimore County Fire Department reported four fire deaths in 2025, according to the department..
Baltimore County had 13 fire-related deaths in 2023, and nine in 2024.
Other fires this month in Baltimore County
A Baltimore County man was shown in a video shared by the fire department catching two children from a second-floor window during a fire in Middle River.
The children and their mother were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
On Friday, Jan. 16, 20 residents of Center Place Senior Apartments in Dundalk were displaced after a fire on the third floor.
"We have a significant amount of water damage from there down up to and including the lobby flooding out and the ceiling falling down," Baltimore County Deputy Fire Chief Rob Kemp said.