Neighbors evacuated after unexplained building collapse in Baltimore

A building collapsed in a North Baltimore neighborhood on Friday night, according to the Baltimore City Fire Department.

At 6:47 p.m., fire officials say they were deployed to the 3628 block of Cottage Avenue for reports of a collapse.

When BCFD units arrived, they found that the rear side of the home had caved in.

Officials have not yet explained what caused the collapse. However, there were no reports of any injuries, and no one was at the home at the time of the incident.

Neighbors living on both sides of the building were evacuated to ensure their homes were safe.

The Office of Emergency Management and the Department of Housing (OEM) are investigating this incident. 

Vacant properties in Baltimore City

In September, a massive five-alarm fire ripped through multiple historic vacant buildings downtown in Baltimore City. 

An emergency demolition project was initiated two weeks after the blaze, leaving residents reflecting on a time when the buildings were lively. 

"I think over the years, everyone's been like, 'Why is it just sitting there?'" said Brandy Diggs, a city resident. "You know what I mean? Why are they not going to do anything with it?"

Two months prior, in July, Governor Wes Moore announced that $50 million in grants had been released to help reduce the number of vacant properties. 

The city has an ambitious plan to reduce that number to a "functional zero" within the next 15 years at a cost of $3 billion.   

 As of December 19, 2025, Baltimore has 12,257 vacant buildings, the lowest in about 20 years, according to city data.