On Tuesday night in Reisterstown, a fireman was hurt in what authorities are calling an arson at an Advance Auto Parts store. A 19-year-old male was detained in connection with the incident. At 9:44 p.m., a Mayday signal was sent from the Advance Auto Parts store in the 11900 block of Reisterstown Road, where a three-alarm fire was raging.
First-degree arson has been filed against Elijah Morgan, according to the police. He was found close to the blaze. Morgan, according to the police, was brought to a local hospital for psychiatric evaluation. According to the fire department, the materials within the building made it impossible to put out the fire.
The Baltimore County Fire Department reports that a lieutenant was hurt when a piece of the ceiling collapsed on them as they battled the blaze. He was rescued by a crew that went into the building. “He was disoriented, but he was OK,” the Baltimore County Fire Department stated.
The tweet below verifies the news:
#Reisterstown #MD
Arrest made re: overnight Advanced Auto Parts fire. https://t.co/OCwPJae6eU— Shane B. Murphy (@shanermurph) July 19, 2023
The firefighter was reportedly rescued from the blaze and taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. He was discharged from the facility shortly afterward.
The latest from #baltimore county fire: 3 alarm fire at Advanced Auto Parts. A mayday was called at 9:44PM. One firefighter has been removed and is being evaluated with non-life threatening injuries. Firefighters working exterior operations only @wjz pic.twitter.com/AecrhoVu3D
— Kelsey Kushner (@KelseyKushnerTV) July 19, 2023
Firefighters were still there early Wednesday morning putting out hot spots, but officials said the store was a total loss and would have to be demolished.
“An auto parts store has a very heavy fire load,” fire officials said. “There’s flammable materials. There’s petroleum-based products, there’s rubber, there’s fuel. They’re all kinds of materials that can burn.” A drone camera belonging to a WJZ viewer captured the charred remains of the building.
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“I just couldn’t believe it because nothing like this really happens,” said Reisterstown resident Myles Taylor, a resident of Reisterstown, and he simply couldn’t believe it. Minutes before the fire was discovered, at around 9:30 p.m., police from the Baltimore County Police Department responded to a call about an armed robbery at a Royal Farms supermarket.
The guy, who police say was armed with a weapon, allegedly fled the scene on foot after stealing money. The police have not commented on the possibility of a link between the two events. The locals of Reisterstown claim that the mall has undergone a recent makeover. “it’s a shame to see them tear this down,” Charles Sless said. “That’s all you know. They’ll have to rebuild something from scratch.”
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