Phase One : Sunday Morning, 11 am
On Sunday February 7th, 1904 most of Baltimore was looking forward to a quiet Sunday afternoon.
The firefighters at Engine Co. 15 were preparing for morning inspection at 11 am. However, at 10:48 am they received an automatic alarm at the John E. Hurst & Company, located between Hopkins Place and Liberty Street on the south side of German Street (now Redwood). The Salvage Corps responded first, as did Fifth District Engineer Levin Burkhardt, Engine 15 and Truck 2.
Phase Two : Sunday, 12 noon
As Engine 15 turned up Liberty Street, Captain John Kahl could see smoke coming from the top floor of the Hurst Building. Captain Kahl did not think he had much of a fire so he went to check the automatic alarm box. The box indicated that there was fire in the basement. As a result, Captain Kahl had his crew force entry through a glass door on the German Street side and entered the building with a chemical line and hand line. As the crew was standing on the stairs to the basement they could see the fire rolling across the ceiling towards the elevator shaft. It was not long after Captain Kahl entered the building when black smoke rolled down the elevator shaft. An explosion on the upper floors was powerful enough to blow off the roof, break several windows and also throw large embers across the street into the broken windows of several neighboring buildings.
Phase Three : Sunday, 6 pm
The fire quickly spread and in minutes the surrounding buildings were ablaze. Chief George Horton, who responded just after 11:10 am, realized the severity of the fire and summoned almost the entire Baltimore City Fire Department, including 24 engines and 8 hook & ladders to the scene. At 11:55 am, the Chief requested help from Washington, DC. The wind was blowing from the southwest driving the fire towards the northeast. The fires raged toward the Court House and City Hall, consuming everything in its path. At 1:30 pm, the first mutual aid engines from Washington arrived. It was discovered that their couplings would not fit Baltimore’s fire hydrants, so they were wrapped with canvas. This reduced their effectiveness and continued to cause problems with the arrival of other mutual aid companies who came later.
Phase Four : Monday, 12 Midnight
At 5 pm, it was decided to use dynamite as a means of stopping the spread of fire. Tons of explosives were brought in and operations began on targeted buildings. The first property was that of John Duer & Son on Charles Street, south of German Street. The building shook but remained standing. Next targeted was the Schwab Bros. Building, on the southwest corner of Charles and German Streets, with the same results. Dynamiting did not hinder the spread of fire and, in many instances, merely accelerated the fire’s spreading elsewhere.
Around 8 pm, the wind changed direction, blowing from the west and driving the fire in a more easterly direction. Also around this time, engines from Philadelphia, PA and Wilmington, DE began to arrive. Due to fire fighting operations and more importantly the wind change, the spread northward was halted, stopping just short of City Hall and the Court House.
Phase Five : Monday, 3 am
After midnight and into the day on February 8th, the wind changed again, blowing from the northwest. It brought in a cold front and moved the fire east to southeast at around 25 mph. Luckily, this was the last change in the wind direction for the duration of the fire. About this time, another fire started at the Maryland Institute Association of Mechanical Arts and grew around Center Market and Water Street, started by fire brands that blew across from the western part of the City. This fire was well east of the main fire at this point by at least 5 blocks. Later in the morning, these fires would grow together, increasing the area and intensity of the fire. Also during the early morning hours, additional engines from Washington and Philadelphia were joined by fire companies from York, Chester, Harrisburg, and Altoona, PA.
Phase Six : Monday, 6 am
Around 6 am, the fire had reached Pratt and Light Streets. Here a heroic stand was made by mainly mutual aid engines primarily from Philadelphia. Through their efforts, the buildings and piers along Light Street, south of Pratt, were saved, thus preventing the fire from reaching Federal Hill and the rest of South Baltimore.
The fire was moving east along Pratt Street toward the Jones Falls. Steam fire engines lined the docks taking water from the harbor and attempting to save the many piers and wharves that lined Pratt Street. Faced with 25 mph winds in their faces, the firemen bravely tried to stand their ground. They were finally driven from the area and in some cases the units were trapped by surrounding fire for periods of time. Fortunately all members reached safety.
Phase Seven : Monday, 12 noon
By 8 am, the fight to save the Pratt Street piers was lost as flames spread south and east of Pratt Street. The only hope of saving East Baltimore was the Jones Falls. Thus a fire department stand was established along the east side of the Falls. Starting around 11:00 am until 1:30 pm nine engines from New York City, along with two more engines from Wilmington, were placed along the Jones Falls. A total of 37 steam fire engines took water from the Falls from Baltimore Street south and established a wall of water to halt the advancing flames.
Although the major part of the conflagration was over by 3 pm, it took weeks for the smoldering fires to finally be put out.
