The deadly East Baltimore fire that killed eight people and left one child still clinging to life in an area hospital was likely caused by smoking, the Baltimore City Fire Department said Friday.
On May 22 at 7:20 a.m., fire fighters responded to the 1900 block of Cecil Avenue, where they found a row house that had erupted into an inferno.
The blaze injured 13 people and killed eight, but its cause was a mystery until now.
“After weeks combing through debris, performing interviews, recreating the fire scene and performing other assessments, the investigation team has determined that the probable cause of the fire was related to smoking materials on the first floor,” the fire department stated in a news release.
The investigation was conducted by Baltimore City Fire Investigators, Baltimore City Police Arson Detection Squad, Alcohol Tobacco Fire Arms and Explosives along with the Maryland State Fire Marshal?s Office K-9 Squad.
The fire department said the blaze in the two story brick row house caused $70,000 worth of damage to the contents in the dwelling and $20,000 to the structure.
