BALTIMORE, Md. — The flames spread to seven separate rowhouses in the 3100 block of Wilkens Avenue as Chris Shockley shepherded four children from his home who had just settled down for a nap.
“As soon as I look out my window, I see smoke coming from the top up here,” said Shockley, “So I got all the kids up and said, ‘Get outside!’, because I know how fire is.”
Firefighters reported no injuries, but paramedics returned to the block on Thursday to transport a 13-year-old who had made it outside, but suffered from smoke inhalation.
A BGE crew also worked to check for gas leaks.
Three of the homes have been condemned, because of damage from the fire and high levels of carbon monoxide.
Still, many of those who live in the block like Chris Shockley are counting themselves fortunate.
“As soon as I got here, the whole glass exploded out,” said Shockley, pointing to a house three doors down, “The fire came out.”
A raging fire, but thanks to Shockley’s actions, his child and Amber Hill’s three children, the eldest of which is 8 years old, were already standing half a block away out of harm’s way.
“She’s very emotional,” said Hill, “She was scared. She called me from her phone. She’s got her own. So she was calling me too. I did dodge this bullet, because fires definitely spread fast.”
