DUNDALK, MD—Multiple lightning strikes sparked a fire at St. Rita Catholic Church in Dundalk on Tuesday, causing significant damage and requiring a large response from Baltimore County fire crews.
The Baltimore County Fire Department received a 9-1-1 call at approximately 2:34 p.m. on July 1, reporting flames visible from a second-floor window of the church, located at 2901 Dunleer Road.
Firefighters arrived within minutes to find smoke and fire showing from the second story. Due to the size and complexity of the church structure, incident command quickly requested a second alarm, bringing nearly 75 fire and EMS personnel to the scene.
Crews battled the blaze aggressively with both interior and exterior operations. One firefighter was treated for a heat-related illness.
Fire investigators from the Baltimore County Police Department determined the fire’s cause to be natural. Storm data indicated that seven powerful lightning strikes occurred within 0.1 miles of the church between 2:25 p.m. and 2:28 p.m., just minutes before the initial 9-1-1 call.
Photos via BCoFD
