Violetville, MD, June 3, 2007
A six-alarm fire destroyed two warehouses in Baltimore County. Box 34-01 was dispatched at 7:47 P.M. for a fire at the Wollenweber Trucking and Warehousing complex in Violetville, in the southwest corner of the county. As the fire spread through a 130,000-square-foot, one-story building, the Baltimore County Fire Department's response was escalated to six alarms by 1 P.M., bringing mutual aid from Baltimore City, Howard County and Baltimore-Washington International Airport.
Water-supply issues and 20- to 30-mph winds complicated firefighting operations. One full-alarm assignment was responsible for laying large-diameter supply lines to the scene from hydrants on larger water mains located several blocks away. More than 175 career and volunteer firefighters with 45 pieces of apparatus fought the fire, which was declared under control at 5:48 A.M the following day. Two firefighters received minor injuries and were treated at a local hospital.
On June 8, fire investigators ruled that the fire was accidental, caused by an electrical malfunction. Damage was estimated at $10 million to $15 million. Also destroyed in the fire were the offices of a local nonprofit organization, the Casey Care Foundation, which provides gifts and trips to terminally ill children.
