Baltimore firefighters were dispatched to the Port of Baltimore Monday afternoon for a fire that sent thick black smoke billowing from outside a warehouse near the city’s cruise terminal.
Fire department spokeswoman Blair Adams said a call for the 2000 block of East McComas St. fire came in just before 12:30 p.m.
Insulation and other building materials caught fire inside the breezeway causing minor damage, Port of Baltimore spokesman Richard Scher said. There were no injuries reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Within minutes of the fire being reported, the smoke began to die down and turn to an ash color. By about 12:40 p.m., fire trucks and Baltimore City police patrol cars filed out of the port. And about 50 minutes later, Adams said the fire was under control.
The breezeway is a temperature controlled area where cruise passengers wait to board their ship after entering the terminal. It has been undergoing a $952,000 renovation since last September to add a new rood and upgrade the HVAC system.
Despite its visible smoke presence across the city, the fire only warped and discolored some siding panels inside the breezeway, Scher said.
Though Scher is not sure how much money the damage will cost, he expects the renovations will only be on hold for “days not weeks.” The project is anticipated to be finished this September.
Scher does not anticipate any delays for ships coming to or from the port. The Royal Caribbean cruise slated to depart from the port Tuesday is still on schedule, he said.
