Woman found dead during Baltimore County house fire
DUNDALK -- A woman died Wednesday afternoon during a house fire in Dundalk that was caused by a failed extension cord, Baltimore County Fire officials said.
Crews responded to the 1800 block of Marshall Road around 11:50 a.m. where they found heavy fire coming from the front of a home. Officials said firefighters encountered hoarding conditions once on the scene.
Crews learned that a woman was unaccounted for and began to search the home.
The woman - identified as 74-year-old Janet Pereira - was found dead on the first floor of the home, according to officials.
Crews had the fire under control by 12:40 p.m., officials said. One firefighter suffered minor burns during the response.
Officials determined the fire was caused by the failure of an extension cord and the home did not have working smoke detectors.
Dundalk recycling plant fire
Wednesday's fire in Dundalk came days after a recycling plant about three miles away caught fire, leading to a partial building collapse.
The fire at Owl Metals started Saturday, Jan. 18 around 6 p.m., according to fire officials. An elderly man who lives in the area was taken to a hospital as a precaution. Several other nearby residents were told to shelter in place.
On Tuesday, Jan. 21, neighbors voiced concerns about air quality in the area as the fire at Owl Metals continued to smolder.
Some residents said the plume of smoke coming from the recycling plant was making it hard to breathe.
"I've been using masking tape to tape up some of the windows where I can smell the smell coming through," neighbor Kelsey Evans said.
On Tuesday, Jan. 21, firefighters were still working to extinguish hot spots and monitoring for flare-ups. At that time, a thick layer of black smoke still blanketed the neighborhood.
On Thursday afternoon, fire officials said crews were back on the scene after the fire rekindled.
Maryland's Department of the Environment (MDE) issued an Air Quality Alert Thursday, advising that sensitive groups near the scene of the fire limit their outdoor time.
According to the MDE, air quality samples taken near the scene, along with weather conditions could concentrate pollution.
"It was a lot of black smoke coming up and the flames got higher and higher every time," Aubrey Evans said.
Recent Baltimore County fires
Dundalk has seen a few major fires so far in January 2024.
On January 2, four adults and four children were hospitalized after a house fire in Dundalk. The fire started early that morning in the 3400 block of Loganview Drive.
On Friday, Dec. 13, one person died and another was critically injured in a house fire in Catonsville. A dog and a cat were also injured, according to fire officials.
Neighbors told WJZ that the victims were mother and son.
"One of our neighbors said that they heard him yelling that his mom was trapped inside," said longtime neighbor Mary Giles.
