Fire in Baltimore engulfs senior housing, community center under construction
In East Baltimore on Monday night, a community center and senior housing complex still under construction went up in flames, and authorities say they do not know if it is linked to the rioting across the city.
A spokesman for the mayor's office told WBAL-TV that the fire destroyed the Mary Harvin Transformation Center, which is run by a community-based organization that supports youth and families. Firefighters arrived at the three-alarm fire at 8:49 p.m., and the flames were visible from blocks away. About 60 members of the Southern Baptist Church located across the street watched as the fire engulfed the structures, many sobbing and asking aloud how this could happen.
The project consisted of the community center and about 60 affordable housing units for senior citizens, and has been in development since 2006, The Baltimore Sun reports. The center was to be used for events, educational programs, and employment training.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Magazine solutions - February 7, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - February 7, 2025
By The Week US Published
-
Magazine printables - February 7, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - February 7, 2025
By The Week US Published
-
Hands-on experiences that let travelers connect with the culture
The Week Recommends Sharpen your sense of place through these engaging activities
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Rain helps Los Angeles wildfires, risks mudslides
Speed Read The weather provided relief for crews working to contain wildfires, though rain over a burn area ups the chances of flooding and mudslides
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Death toll rises in LA fires as wind lull allows progress
Speed Read At least 24 people have died and 100,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden cancels Italy trip as raging LA fires spread
Speed Read The majority of the fires remain 0% contained
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Fast-spreading Los Angeles wildfires spark panic
Speed Read About 30,000 people were under an evacuation order as the inferno spread
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hundreds feared dead in French Mayotte cyclone
Speed Read Cyclone Chido slammed into Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Thirteen missing after Red Sea tourist boat sinks
Speed Read The vessel sank near the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Global plastics summit starts as COP29 ends
Speed Read Negotiators gathering in South Korea seek an end to the world's plastic pollution crisis, though Trump's election may muddle the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden visits Amazon, says climate legacy irreversible
Speed Read Nobody can reverse America's 'clean energy revolution,' said the president, despite the incoming Trump administration's promises to dismantle climate policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published