An early morning blaze in Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood damaged six vacant homes. Fire crews were dispatched to the 3400 block of Keswick Road before 2 a.m. today, marking yet another incident on this fire-troubled block. According to CBS News Baltimore, the firefighters faced a two-story house consumed by heavy smoke and flames that quickly spread, affecting two adjacent vacant properties. Although no residents were displaced since the buildings were unoccupied, the fire was controlled within an hour.
In a separate report by FOX Baltimore, it was noted that the fire caused the partial collapse of one of the houses, an unsettling echo of a mid-October tragedy on the same block where a catastrophic fire claimed the lives of two people and left a noticeable gap in the row of homes the causes of both fires remain under investigation as the community grapples with the aftermath and the uncertainty that follows.
Baltimore's frequent vacant house fires highlight a housing crisis the city is tackling with new laws. The City Council recently passed a bill imposing a special property tax on vacant homes, pushing owners to repair them or risk the city taking over. City Councilwoman Odette Ramos has stressed the urgency, noting around 13,000 vacant properties and many more nearing collapse.
Vaulant property taxes will triple in the 2026-27 tax year, with a possible fourfold increase the following year if necessary.
