BALTIMORE – Nearly a year after two firefighters died after battling a blaze on Linden Heights Avenue, the fire has been classified as accidental, according to a news release from the Baltimore City Fire Department.
On October 19, 2023, a fire broke out and destroyed a group of terraced houses. Two firefighters, 31-year-old Rodney Pitts III of Baltimore, and 26-year-old Dillon J. Rinaldo were killed and four others were injured.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms found the fire at 5210 Linden Heights Avenue started in the rear first-floor addition. Maryland Occupational Safety and Health, which also investigated, found no violation of applicable laws or regulations.
“The loss of our colleagues in the Linden Heights fire is a profound tragedy that deeply affects our entire department and community,” Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace said in a statement. “Our firefighters put their lives on the line every day, and it is heartbreaking when such a sacrifice results in losses.”
The cause of the fire remains unknown, although its origin has been found. According to the fire department, ATF investigators were able to rule out a malfunction in the electrical system or improper disposal of smoking materials.
“While the fire has been determined to be accidental, the impact it caused is no less tragic,” Toni M. Crosby, ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore Field Division, said in the news release. “Our thoughts remain with the firefighter’s families and friends and with our partners at the Baltimore City Fire Department.”
Pitts, a 2011 graduate of Digital Harbor High School, started working as a firefighter and EMT in August 2023 after joining the city fire department the year before. He was on Engine 29, based in Park Heights.
Rinaldo came to Baltimore to pursue his goal of becoming a career firefighter, leaving the fire department in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, where he joined as a junior firefighter in high school and where his father served as chief.
The Linden Heights fire occurred while the city was still reeling from the fire at a vacant home in the 200 block of S. Stricker Street that killed three firefighters in 2022.
“BCFD’s thoughts are with the families of those killed and injured and their courage is honored,” the release said. The fire department “remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety and operational excellence.”
