Posted on 01/22/25
| News Source: WJZ
Dundalk, MD - Jan. 22, 2025 - A fire at Owl Metals, a recycling plant on Rettman Lane in Dundalk, is still smoldering and the plume of smoke is making it difficult for nearby residents to breathe days after a massive fire erupted.
The three-alarm fire started around 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18, which ultimately led to a partial building collapse.
Residents, including those from our community, have reported experiencing respiratory discomfort and a strong, unpleasant odor in the air as the smoke infiltrates homes.
"I've been using masking tape to tape up some of the windows where I can smell the smell coming through," neighbor Kelsey Evans said.
Firefighters are still working to extinguish hotspots and monitoring flare-ups, however, a thick layer of black smoke is blanketing the neighborhood.
"It's more like a fog, at points," Kelsey Evans said. "It's low lying, very thick, will burn your nose, hurt your throat."
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Aubrey Evans said she saw the flames from her window, which prompted responses from multiple fire rescue boats, Baltimore County Fire and Baltimore City Fire departments.
"It was a lot of black smoke coming up and the flames got higher and higher every time," she said.