6 Family Members Killed In East Baltimore Fire

Red Cross Assisting About 30 Who Were Displaced

POSTED: 6:03 am EST December 14, 2010
UPDATED: 5:26 pm EST December 14, 2010

Comments

(1)

BALTIMORE -- City firefighters said six people -- three adults and three children -- died in a Tuesday morning rowhouse blaze in east Baltimore.

The two-alarm fire occurred at about 4:40 a.m. in the 2300 block of Homewood Avenue. Four homes were damaged.

Relatives told 11 News that the victims were Eleanor Satterfield, Richard Satterfield, their daughter, Tiara Gholston, 26; and her children, 9-year-old Amari, 3-year-old Darryon Faulkner and 1-year-old Daylon Faulkner.

"I have no words to say right now. I'm in shock," said Darryl Faulkner, who lost two of his children in the blaze.

Crews arrived at the bitterly cold scene to find heavy fire conditions in four two-story brick homes.

Click here for more photos from the scene.

"When companies arrived, there were very heavy fire and smoke conditions from one dwelling that extended directly into another dwelling," said fire department spokesman Kevin Cartwright.

Fire officials said the blaze is believed to have started in the end unit, 2311, and spread down to the other three units due to wind.

Firefighters went inside to attack the fire, but the conditions began to deteriorate due to Tuesday morning's wind gusts. The fire department commander at the scene ordered an evacuation of all firefighters, who had to battle the blaze outside.

The National Weather Service reported wind gusts in the area of between 30 mph and 40 mph before 6 a.m.

Tiara Gholston and her three children were killed in the blaze.

Crews eventually re-entered the dwelling and found the victims, Cartwright said.

"To be confronted with six lives lost is totally devastating. It's very difficult for our firefighters to confront that. It's something we never look forward to," he said.

Jeanette Faulkner, an aunt to one of the victims, said, "They were just pretty and beautiful children. And to see six bodies to die in a fire around the holidays is just overwhelming for me. I'm really trying to hold the family up to make sure they receive the comfort they need at this time."

It wasn't immediately known whether the home had working smoke alarms. Relatives said the family did use space heaters in the home, but it's too early to speculate on the cause.

"There were very heavy fire and smoke conditions from one dwelling that extended directly into another dwelling."

- Fire department spokesman Kevin Cartwright

Fire investigators and police arson detectives are performing an investigation into the cause of the fire.

Fire officials said the victims likely died from smoke inhalation and burns. They said 18 people have died from fires this year in the city.

About 30 other people were displaced by the fire. The Red Cross is helping those people with food, clothing and shelter.

"There's a lot of damage inside, debris throughout," Cartwright said.

Hours after the fire, Karen Lane stood outside the home next to her mother, Elizabeth, who lives next door and escaped unharmed with Lane's father. Lane's parents' home was one of three others damaged by the fire.

"My mother's house is right here on the end, but thank God they got out alive," Karen Lane said.