Miller Stern Lawyers – Investigation into Stricker Street Fire That Claimed The Lives Of Three Baltimore City Firefighters And Injured A Fourth – Departmental And City Wide Failures – Miller Stern Lawyers

WBFF Fox 45 in Baltimore Investigates Stricker Street Fire  https://foxbaltimore.com/news/city-in-crisis/investigative-report-on-stricker-street-fire-reveals-departmental-problems#

According to Fox 45, “The report describes confusion over which firefighters were on scene that day and who was trapped inside the collapsed, burning structure. . . . ”

“One of the most glaring problems on that January day, the firefighters had no idea they were walking into an unsafe vacant home that had been on fire twice before.”

The article continues “The report says their systems never alerted them and there was no visible indicator from the outside. The report recommends the department implement a standard operating procedure for responding to vacant home fires, and begin marking hazardous vacant homes to warn firefighters of their danger.”

Code X-Ray, marking unsafe buildings, did not last long after apparently funding ran dry and neighbors complained the signs were “an eyesore in their community”

This statement is being provided by Miller Stern Lawyers on behalf of the families of the firefighters whose lives were devastated by this tragedy.

We have the honor and privilege of representing the family of Kelsey Sadler, the family of Paul Butrim, the family of Kenneth Lacayo, and John McMaster.

Accountability must occur in order to effect change.  Our legal system allows for accountability, and we firmly believe these families deserve all of the answers and changes they seek.  How many times have our elected officials made promises or started a project and come up short? This cannot and will NOT CONTINUE to occur for the families of Paul Butrim, Kelsey Sadler, Kenneth Lacayo, and John McMaster. The excuses offered by the City Council are unacceptable and show their true colors; the city is more concerned with their bond rating than the lives of our first responders. 

While the line of duty report highlights several failures by Baltimore City and the Baltimore City Fire Department, it is not the complete story, and it is far from the accountability expected and necessary for change. We have been conducting our investigation and working with the families of the injured and fallen firefighters since the fire occurred on January 24, 2022.

While the report from the fire department and the resignation of Chief Niles is a step towards accountability, it does NOT change the history of 205 S. Stricker St. nor does it address the failures of our city officials. This was a condemned vacant property that should not have been standing.

This was a vacant property that all firefighters should have been aware of, as it presented a risk to their safety.  205 S. Stricker should have been demolished years ago, after the first fire there, but the City of Baltimore and our elected officials chose to allocate the City’s resources elsewhere. The City chose to eliminate the code x-ray program and now, after the ultimate tragedy occurs, the City has finally reinstated the code x-ray program 10 months after the fire and only in the face of criticism. 

Our firefighters deserve more from us and no family should have to go through what these families are going through today.  This is a tragic story of too little, too late, and we will not sit by and let this occur again.  It is our job to make sure that we hold our elected officials to their promises and cause change. There MUST, AND WILL, be transparency.