Fire and Ice
A three-alarm fire gutted a late 18th century mansion in late January in the Roland Park area. Firefighters battled the blaze in frigid temperatures that were so cold that two fire hydrants were frozen and rendered inoperable. What was left behind the next day was a strange juxtaposition of destruction and beauty as water froze around the surrounding area formed interesting geometric shapes. Baltimore Sun staff photographer Karl Merton Ferron, who covered the fire for the newspaper, went back to scene the next day to record what Mother Nature’s cold snap had created in the wreckage.
- The remains of a mansion a day following a 3-alarm fire that gutted the late-18th century home on St. Georges Road in the North Roland Park area. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
- A frozen manmade pond holds one of a number of duck and goose decoys that sit as still outside the remains of a mansion the burned down during a 3-alarm fire. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
- Icicles dangle on a wood beam among the rubble of the remains of the mansion. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore)
- Icicles encase a shrub beneath a wood beam among the rubble of the charred remains of a mansion a day following a 3-alarm fire at a late-18th century home on St. Georges Road in the North Roland Park area. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
- Ice coats the railing of a deck a day after firefighters battled the fire that gutted the late-18th century home. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
- Icicles protect a shrub next to an ice-coated deck a day following a fire that destroyed a late-18th century home in the North Roland Park area. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
- Icicles somehow formed comma shapes in front of the porch of a late 18th century home in the North Roland Park area that was . (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
- Icicles form on tree branches in front of the porch a day following a fire that gutted a home in the North Roland Park area. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
- Icicles can be seen both inside and outside of the burnt structure a day following the 3-alarm fire that struck the late-18th century home. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
- Shrubs are coated with ice a day following a 3-alarm fire that gutted a late-18th century home on St. Georges Road in the North Roland Park area. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
- Shrubs are coated with ice a day following a 3-alarm fire that gutted a late-18th century home on St. Georges Road in the North Roland Park area. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
Betsy Earley
Feb 01, 2014 @ 23:22:02
What gorgeous photos to come out of such a tragedy. Such a lovely home with so many memories. I really feel
for the owner and his family as I know what it is like to lose a home. Thank you for taking these pictures and sharing them.