On March 18, a vacant house next door to Kris Spruill’s home on Norfolk Avenue caught fire, and the flames tore into her family’s rowhome, leaving it uninhabitable. Spruill says the damage is so extensive that repairs could stretch on for months and that her family may be forced out for as long as a year while they rebuild. The timing was especially brutal: the fire hit on the same day the family had planned a memorial for Spruill’s recently deceased father, compounding their grief with a housing crisis.
Speaking with WMAR‑2 News, Spruill said the neighboring property had been empty for more than a decade, and she believes squatters may have sparked the blaze. She told the station that she and her husband had repeatedly reported the lot and even tried to keep the grass cut on their own, but that city code notices often went unanswered. In the meantime, the family has launched an online fundraiser to cover immediate costs while they scramble to secure housing and plan repairs.
City Program Shows Progress, but Vacant Homes Still Pose Danger
Baltimore’s multi‑year Reframe Baltimore initiative, a roughly $3 billion, 15‑year strategy, is the administration’s blueprint to revive long‑vacant buildings and cut down on blight. According to Reframe Baltimore, the city now tracks just over 12,000 vacant properties on its public dashboard, a noticeable drop from earlier figures. Local reporting has also noted that Mayor Brandon Scott has pointed to a decrease in vacancy numbers from roughly 16,000 to about 11,800 in recent years, even as officials concede that vacancies continue to pull down neighborhoods.
Legal Tools Exist, but They Can Take Months
The Baltimore Department of Housing and Community Development says it takes a stepped approach to enforcement, starting with violation notices, then moving to citations and work orders. When property owners still do not respond, the agency can seek court action, including receivership and judicial in rem foreclosure. DHCD guidance says those judicial tools can speed up acquisition compared with traditional tactics, but they still require filings and court hearings. The department estimates that an in rem foreclosure, once filed and staffed, can take roughly six to eight months before the city gains title.
DHCD also offers a public online form where residents can nominate properties for review and encourages people to call 311 to request inspections that may trigger Vacant Building Notices.
We respond to vacant properties almost every day, IAFF Local 734 President Matthew Coster told WMAR, warning that arson, illegal occupancy, and drug activity turn vacant structures into particular hazards for neighbors and firefighters. Leaders in the fire department and the union say those risks help explain why residents push so hard for faster cleanups or legal action when owners cannot be reached.
The Spruill family’s fundraiser is aimed at covering temporary housing, replacing essential belongings, and paying funeral expenses. The campaign lists a $10,000 goal and already shows early donations. Neighbors and local organizers say smaller community drives and mutual‑aid efforts are helping with immediate needs while families wait for insurance, construction permits, and any city response to move forward.
How Neighbors Can Push for Faster Fixes
Residents who spot a dangerous vacant property can plug into the city’s resources in several ways. They can track and report issues through Reframe Baltimore, submit a Judicial In Rem eligibility request using DHCD’s online form, or call 311 to request a Vacant Building Inspection. For families like the Spruills, those steps can eventually trigger fines, receivership, or foreclosure when owners fail to maintain or secure blighted homes. Yet the process is often slow, and neighbors say they are pushing for swifter action so that another house on their block does not end up in flames.
