Red Cross explains how it is helping Baltimore residents displaced by massive rowhome fire

The American Red Cross is working with West Baltimore residents who lost their homes in a large fire on Friday, March 7.  

The four-alarm fire took out a block of rowhomes, businesses, and apartments on North Fulton Avenue, leaving at least nine residents displaced. Some of the buildings were vacant, according to fire officials.

"You know, as a Baltimorean from East Baltimore, we should always be prepared because tragedy can happen anywhere, anyway," said Lenora Henry, the Executive Director of the American Red Cross of Central Maryland.

The Baltimore City Fire Department believes the fire started inside a vacant home due to possible illegal occupant activity and spread on a windy early morning.

Baltimore City has been plagued by vacant homes for decades.

"We have a problem with addicts coming into these properties, calling themselves trying to keep warm, but endangering others and families," said Monique Awkward, who said she lost everything in the Fulton Avenue fire. 

How does the Red Cross help?

The Central Maryland Chapter of the American Red Cross is fulfilling its mission of assisting families impacted by the fire.

"I've lost everything, I have nothing," a displaced resident said.

Officials say nine people, among four rowhomes, are now without a place to live, IDs, food, and clothing. 

The Red Cross says they assist with more than 100 fires each month, so the Fulton Avenue blaze provided another opportunity to meet those in need.

"If it's food or clothing, medication, eyewear, walkers, a CPAP machine, we write all of that down and we track that information and the Red Cross provides financial support," Henry said.

Henry told WJZ that the Red Cross is helping these families get back on their feet.

"We're providing financial services to them, we're making sure that they have the essentials that they need," Henry said. 

The Red Cross also provides these families with caseworkers who are with them for the long term. While they can't get them a new home, they make sure victims are connected to about a hundred different partners to help them figure out what's next.

"The importance of partnership is we never want to have a family left without anything, so these relationships are key and very much essential," Henry said.

Monique Awkward told WJZ her family of five is staying at a hotel, but they only have a week. She is unsure of their next move.

"They have us staying at a hotel right now and we don't know what our next move is going to be," Awkward said. "We have seven days there."