Firefighters and equipment from Washington, DC, Philadelphia and New York made their way to the scene by train after the initial alarm was sounded. Unfortunately, their hoses would not fit Baltimore hydrants because of a difference in threads. So, even though 1,231 firefighters, 57 engines, nine trucks, two hose companies, one fire boat, and one police boat responded to the fire, the blaze claimed 1,526 buildings in an area of 70 city blocks.
After the Baltimore fire, a national standard for fire hydrant connections was adopted by the National Fire Protection Association. One hundred years later, 18 of the nation's largest 48 cities had adopted the standard.
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Seven Fires