Twenty-five people lost their lives in fires in Baltimore this year alone. The most recent - a mother and her four-year-old little girl were pulled from their burning home on East Cold Spring Lane Wednesday morning. The woman's other child - a five-year-old daughter - is fighting for her life.
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The number of deaths could rise to 27 once the medical examiner releases the official cause of death. The year 2017 has seen the most fire deaths of the last three years.
"I normally respond to all fatalities and I will tell you the atmosphere by the time I got there it was just about under control and just the atmosphere was just terrible," remembered Baltimore City Fire Chief Niles Ford.
Ford talked about walking into the fire scene that took the life of that mother and child. It's not clear what caused the fire that started in the 700 block of East Cold Spring Lane, but it won't soon be forgotten.
Much like the fire that ripped the Malone family apart in January. Six children died when their home along Springwood Avenue caught fire and collapsed. Now the city struggles with the loss of another at the hands of fire.
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"This is Christmas, this is the time where children are supposed to be joyous were not supposed to be talking about funerals for children," said Ford.
In March, crews were called to Kozy Kottage, an assisted living community in Northwest Baltimore. Four people died. While the cause is still unknown in all of these fires, experts say this time of year seems to be the worst.
"When you get around Christmas you see people improperly using light sources, live Christmas trees and not taking care of them. The big thing historically has been people trying to stay warm," Ford told ABC2.
Just last week, a man lost his life in a fire in the 2000 block of Bel Air Road. Fire officials are now working overtime to reverse what seems to be a growing trend.
"Our people go door to door every week to educate the community on fire safety, to check their smoke alarms," Ford said.
One of the best ways to survive a fire is to have working smoke detectors in your home. Also, never leave candles or stoves unattended.
