BALTIMORE
--
Four people died when fire ripped through a city rowhouse late Wednesday.
The fire broke out on the second floor of a home in the 1600 block of East Oliver Street just after 11 p.m.
While battling intense flames and smoke, crews made the gruesome finding.
"We began to discover that we had multiple bodies throughout the house," said Capt. Roman Clark.
Due to the intensity of the blaze, firefighters ascended to the roof to perform ventilation operations while others went to the basement to shut off utilities.
The fire was declared under control in less than an hour. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
Identities and other information about the victims have not been released. The preliminary investigation showed no signs of smoke alarms in the home.
"This is a tragic start to the new year. We will continue to emphasize to the public the importance of having a working smoke alarm," said Fire Chief James Clack.
A fire official said the city's rotating fire stations weren't an issue and that response time to the one-alarm fire was quick.
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