BALTIMORE — This month will mark a year since the deadly South Stricker Street fire claimed the lives of 3 Baltimore city firefighters.
January 24 still stands as one of Baltimore's darkest days, but the place where it happened is becoming a beacon of light.
"I was here actually. I was here that morning. I experienced that whole ordeal. It was very tragic," shared Kintira Barbour, The Mount Clare Community Council President.
Firefighters spent hours on scene on South Stricker Street where they lost 3 of their own fighting a fire in a vacant home that collapsed.
It ended the lives of Lieutenants Kelsey Sadler, Paul Butrim and firefighter Kenny Lacayo.
"It was one of those moments where everybody was a community, titles went out the window. Associations went out the window. It was just human beings having that experience together," said Barbour.
She wanted to make sure that moment and the place where it happened weren't left without something to show for them.
She spearheaded the effort to create a memorial garden in the firefighter's honor adorned with symbols of remembrance like American flags, crosses, and emblems honoring the lives of the fallen.
Throughout the day neighbors just like her stand where the fallen fighters last stood to honor their lives.
"Seeing it for myself, coming here is just a drastically different feeling even though we do know the experience of the tragedy. It's definitely transformed into something different," she shared.
Whether they're connected to the tragedy or not, this space has a tendency to pull people in to pay respect to the Baltimore city firefighters and it's still a work in progress.
"There's also a table and bench that's going to be installed here so this place as a whole is evolving. It's not done. We'll add more plants. As we get more funding, we'll add hopefully a mural," Barbour said.
The expression of love from the Mount Clare community will stand as an example of the good emerging from life's toughest circumstances.
"For this particular space our theme was specifically healing and love. Even though we do encounter tragic situations we still have to basically go on, so this space is a moment of healing for the community, for the families and for us all to experience," Barbour expressed.
The memorial garden is located at 200 South Stricker Street in West Baltimore.
