Baltimore community reflects on warehouse fire as dispute over power towers continues

Baltimore's Remington community is marking nearly a year since a massive fire destroyed a warehouse in the neighborhood, as residents continue to raise concerns about a proposal to install high-voltage electrical towers nearby.

The four-alarm fire broke out on the afternoon of Nov. 7, 2025, on West 23rd Street, threatening an entire block of homes.

The flames tore through a commercial building that housed two businesses: a woodworking business on the ground floor and a toy or textile business on the second floor.

Fire officials said 23 neighbors were evacuated and relocated to a nearby church.

BGE plans to install high-voltage towers

Sunday's event also came as some residents push back against Baltimore Gas and Electric's (BGE) proposal to install high-voltage transmission towers in the area as part of Amtrak's Frederick Douglass Tunnel project.

BGE's existing transmission line runs underground, but it conflicts with Amtrak's multibillion-dollar tunnel project. Under a previous agreement with Amtrak, BGE must relocate the line to allow construction to move forward.

Last month, BGE told CBS News Baltimore that moving the line overhead would save time and money, particularly if future projects require additional underground construction.

The Frederick Douglass Tunnel project will replace a 153-year-old rail tunnel beneath West Baltimore, eliminating a bottleneck along the Northeast Corridor and allowing trains to travel through Baltimore more quickly.

BGE says overhead lines are the most cost-effective option

BGE said it considered several options for relocating the transmission line, including keeping it underground. However, the utility determined that an overhead route was the most feasible and cost-effective option.

The transmission line supplies BGE's South Remington substation, which serves more than 46,000 customers. BGE said it plans to complete the relocation by the end of the decade.

Under the current proposal, BGE would install two H-frame poles in the parking lot of its Center Substation on Huntingdon Avenue. Two additional towers would be placed in the parking lot of an existing city salt dome on North Avenue.

The towers, which would stand between 65 and 80 feet tall, would be located at the southern end of Remington, moving away from the neighborhood toward the Jones Falls and nearby train tracks.

BGE said it worked with third-party groups to study alternatives but concluded that placing the transmission lines overhead was the only feasible option.

The overhead proposal would cost about $28 million, compared with an estimated $224 million to place the line underground, according to BGE.

The utility also said underground construction would add several years to the tunnel project's timeline. Amtrak said in a statement that such a delay would cost millions of dollars.

BGE cites safety concerns with railroad bridge alternative

BGE initially considered another alternative in its application to the Maryland Public Service Commission: placing the lines along a CSX railroad bridge. The utility now says that option would pose environmental, operational and safety risks.

According to BGE, vibrations from passing trains and other electrical equipment could damage the protective covering around its cables, potentially causing insulating fluid to leak and creating safety and reliability concerns.

The utility also warned that leaked fluid could reach the tracks and potentially contribute to train derailments. BGE said engineers have not determined whether the lines could even reach the bridge.

Remington residents raise concerns about proposed towers

Residents, including members of the Greater Remington Improvement Association (GRIA), have expressed frustration with what they describe as a lack of communication and say they want a greater voice in the decision.

"As part of a project with Amtrak, to work on the lines, BGE wants to create these really high voltage towers behind our homes," Remington resident Courtney Delph said. "It would help supply power to Amtrak, but as part of that, it would create these giant structures behind our homes. It would loom way taller than our power lines and really just create a blight on our neighborhood."

BGE has said it has engaged with the community for more than a year, including attending community meetings and sending letters about the proposed construction.

"It's within BGE property. It's out of the sightline of nearly all of the community," BGE spokesperson Nick Alexopulos previously told CBS News Baltimore. "But the fact that the community has raised concerns and asked us questions means that we are committed to staying engaged with them throughout the entire process."

BGE aims to complete the transmission line relocation by 2030. Amtrak expects the Frederick Douglass Tunnel project to be completed by 2036.