Early-morning Baltimore fire injures 3 women, 1 critically

Firefighters: 2 victims were hanging out of windows to be rescued 

 BALTIMORE —A fire in northeast Baltimore early Thursday morning injured three women, one of whom was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

The fire broke out around 4 a.m. in the 2900 block of Glendale Avenue near Harford Road.

Firefighters said when they got to the scene they found flames and heavy smoke coming from all levels of a duplex. Officials said they found two women who were hanging out of second-floor windows looking to be rescued.

"On one side of the house, there were two women hanging out of the window. The firefighters were able to dispatched ladders and were able to carefully bring those women to the ground level, where they received treatment," said fire department spokesman Ian Brennan.

A third woman was found unconscious inside the home, Brennan said.

All three victims were taken to the Bayview Burn Center for treatment. Brennan said the unconscious woman suffered life-threatening injuries, while the other two are expected to be OK.

Two firefighters were also taken to hospitals with minor injuries. 

Officials said it didn't appear that anyone was inside the house attached to the duplex that caught fire.

A preliminary cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

Harford Road was shut down for a time in that area, but it reopened around 6:30 a.m. for the morning commute.