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The fire was reported first at the John Hurst and Company building at 10:48 am and quickly spread. By 1:30 pm, units from Washington DC were arriving. To halt the fire, officials decided to use a firewall, and dynamited buildings around the existing fire. This was unsuccessful.
One reason for the duration of the fire was the lack of national standards in fire-fighting equipment. Although fire engines from nearby cities (such as Philadelphia and Washington, as well as units from New York, Wilmington, and Atlantic City) responded, many were useless because their hose couples failed to fit Baltimore hydrants. As a result, the fire burned over 30 hours, destroying 1526 buldings spanning 70 city blocks.
It was long believed that no lives were lost directly to the fire. However, recently rediscovered newspaper stories from the time tell that the charred remains of a "colored man" were pulled from the harbor days later. Why this death was ignored for almost a century is unknown, though racism may have played a role.
In the aftermath, 35,000 people were made unemployed. After the fire, the city was rebuilt using more fireproof materials such as granite pavers.
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