Woodberry residents describe chaos of Baltimore’s Camp Small fire

BALTIMORE- Baltimore fire officials expect the fire at Camp Small to continue to smolder throughout the weekend.
The fire started Thursday evening in a large storage area with trees and logs stacked about 30 feet tall at Camp Small along W. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace said. 
The Mayor’s Office said an employee at Camp Small was the first to notice the fire and call 911.
During a press conference Friday afternoon, Fire Chief James Wallace said firefighters were still working to keep the fire suppressed with the help of heavy equipment including an excavator and a bulldozer.  Chief Wallace said there was no damage to critical infrastructure in the area.
Residents of Woodberry Apartments got an uncomfortable front-row seat to the chaos on Cold Spring Lane Thursday.
“The pictures don’t even do it justice,” said Brett Duffy, a Woodberry resident. “It was even worse and crazier in person.”
“They weren’t letting people in this area,” said Katrina Vierra, another Woodberry resident.
“We actually can see the fire from outside my bedroom window,” said Woodberry resident Sophie LaBella. “So, we were basically sitting together in my room watching the whole thing happen.”
Fire officials closed off Cold Spring Lane and I-83 as they battled the flames. LaBella said they watched as fire crews filled up the road. 
Meanwhile, road closures created a challenge for residents trying to get back home during rush hour.
“We had to go all the way around,” Duffy said. “So instead of right off the highway exit, we had to do a 20-minute drive just to get back and park and walk a little bit just to get back into our apartment.”
Schools and businesses were also forced to close on Friday due to smoke billowing across the area.
“It was just scary to think about it spreading,” LaBella said. “That was our biggest worry.”
Fire crews continued to monitor the smoldering wood on Saturday night. As they kept an eye out, the fears of some residents calmed down. They said they’re grateful to see things slowly return to normal.
“Happy that the roads opened back up and I was able to leave my apartment because yesterday I was stuck there,” Vierra said.