BALTIMORE (AP) — Several hours after firefighters extinguished a fire at a warehouse in southwest Baltimore early Sunday, the scene was eerily quiet as Donte Craig walked through the charred rubble, trying to keep alive the hope.
He was looking for his older brother James Craig Jr., who was leasing the warehouse for his wrecking and hauling business. Upon hearing of the fire, which was reported at around 11:30pm on Saturday, family members became increasingly concerned throughout the night as James Craig Jr. was not returning calls or texts.
Eventually, his brother went to the scene late Sunday morning.
Inside the building, she found her brother lying unresponsive on the second floor. James Craig Jr., 45, was later pronounced dead and Baltimore police launched a homicide investigation.
As the investigation unfolds, family members demand answers. They want to know how the firefighters didn’t initially realize the building was occupied.
Their questions add to the growing controversy surrounding the Baltimore Fire Department and its policies, which came under close scrutiny after three firefighters died in response to a call earlier this year. The chief resigned last week in response to an investigative report that revealed numerous shortcomings.
In response to questions about the warehouse fire, officials said they had no reason to believe anyone was inside the two-story commercial building. They also said the building was ultimately deemed structurally unsafe for firefighters to enter.
But the Craig family said there were signs of occupation, including half a dozen dogs spending the night in an adjacent paddock. First responders took the dogs to an animal shelter, according to family members.
James Craig Jr. used the first floor of the warehouse as a workshop, but also had an upstairs bedroom where he sometimes stayed after working late. He collapsed near the top of the stairs, his second brother.
“He was trying to get out,” Donte Craig said in an interview at the scene Tuesday afternoon.
He pointed to the stairs that led to the second floor. While parts of the building were badly damaged by the flames – including sections of the walls and floors reduced to coal and ash – the metal staircase remained intact.
Donte Craig said he easily climbed the stairs Sunday morning and spotted his brother’s body before reaching the top. He wondered why the firefighters hadn’t made a similar effort.
“They have a lot of responsibilities,” said Father James Craig Sr. “Why couldn’t they walk up a flight of stairs? Maybe my son could still be alive.
The criticism comes amid turmoil for the Baltimore Fire Department. Chief Niles Ford, who had led the department since 2014, resigned last week after an investigative report revealed numerous shortcomings. The report examined the department’s response to a townhouse fire in southwest Baltimore that left three firefighters dead.
Among the findings of the investigation: There was no program to notify firefighters of vacant and unsafe homes or standard procedures for fighting fires and coordinating 911 responses to vacant buildings. The report also cited a culture of competition among firefighters that may have led to increased risk-taking.
In this case, there were signs of a previous fire and structural instability, but firefighters still entered the building, officials said.
The high concentration of vacant buildings in Baltimore poses a unique danger to firefighters. A survey by the Baltimore Sun showed that vacant homes in Baltimore were burning twice as fast as the national rate, but record-keeping deficiencies limited what firefighters knew before moving in.
At the scene of the recent warehouse fire, firefighters entered the building for the first time and “performed internal operations to fight the blaze,” said department spokeswoman Blair Adams. But then the incident commander and safety officer discovered “some visual signs of structural instability” and ordered an immediate evacuation. At that time, firefighters fought the fire from outside.
The fire was brought under control around 1 a.m. Sunday, officials said.
“There was no reason to believe anyone was inside,” Adams said in a text message Tuesday.
He said firefighters responded again Sunday after the body was found. Baltimore Police’s homicide and arson units also responded. Officials said the cause was still under investigation.
James Craig Sr. said he was unhappy with the city’s response.
“I get guesses; I’m not getting any facts,” he said Tuesday afternoon in a phone conversation with a homicide detective assigned to the case. “You have to remember the reality is that I lost my son. This is the reality of everything.
Lea Skene, the Associated Press
