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Baltimore, Maryland — Fire crews in Baltimore are battling a four-alarm blaze this Friday morning. A 150-year-old Fells Point paint shop is in the fire.

The Baltimore City Fire Department received a report about the fire around 3 a.m. The building is located on the 400 block of South Broadway. When the firefighters arrived, the blaze was quickly getting worse.

The fire increased rapidly from a three-alarm to four-alarm. About 50 residents were forced to evacuate, among them was Fells Point resident Ben Orlando. Mr. Orlando is currently staying in a hotel, waiting for an announcement allowing his return.

According to Baltimore City Fire Chief Roman Clark, the fire was extinguished as of 8 a.m., but the firefighters are still at the scene. About 100 firefighters responded to fire because of how serious it was. And it could have gotten far worse than it wound up being.

Fire Nearly Spreads to Other Baltimore Buildings

The reached all the way to the neighboring church. The smoke could be seen from Interstate I-83. It billowed across the whole city.

Fortunately, the four-alarm fire didn’t bring injuries to anybody.  Fire officials are still trying to figure out what was the cause of it. But they haven’t determined it yet. We’re waiting with bated breath for the officials to release a full report of what happened.

The old building has been located on South Broadway since 1868. The shop expanded over the years and spread across six adjoining buildings, including a church. It was a full-on community staple, which makes this unexplained fire so much more distressing.

Fells Point is a national historic district, according to the website. It’s one of the oldest parts of the city, and today it serves as one of the city’s main nightlife districts. The loss of this shop is a significant one for Fells Point’s character.