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Photos from a 3rd alarm arson fire in a vacant building on 10/21/06. Three Alarm Fire Destroys Vacant Eldersburg Business By Fire Sergeant/PIO Bill Rehkopf October 21, 2006 Nearly 100 firefighters from Carroll, Baltimore and Howard counties battled a spectacular fire in a vacant Liberty Road business, Saturday evening, October 21. Sykesville fire units were dispatched at 9:40 pm to the 1200 block of Liberty Road for the building fire. Fire Lieutenant Brian Ruch was in the area and immediately reported heavy smoke from the two story building. Units leaving the firehouse could see the smoke from the station. A second alarm was quickly requested due to the amount of fire in the building. Firefighters made several attempts to attack the fire inside the building; but ultimately the decision was made to switch to an outside, defensive operation. The fact that the building was vacant, its deteriorating condition, and the amount of fire led to the decision to switch to the defensive operation. A third alarm was requested, mainly for manpower, bringing in more fire and EMS units. Crews from BGE were requested to the scene as the service lines for the Eldersburg area passed by less than 20 feet from the fire. Power was temporarily cut to part of the Eldersburg area while the fire was brought under control. It took fire crews nearly three hours to extinguish the fire. A bulldozer was brought into the scene to raze the remainder of the building. Two firefighters were transported to local hospitals for non-life threatening injuries. The Maryland State Fire Marshal's office is investigating the cause of the fire. Sykesville fire units were assisted on the scene by crews from Gamber, Winfield, Mount Airy, Reese, Randallstown, Boring, West Friendship and Lisbon. An engine from Bethany, Howard County, filled in Sykesville's station for the duration of the incident. Their crew handled a car fire call at the High's Market across the street from the fire station. No one was hurt in that incident. Units: Sykesville Ladder 12, Engine 123, Squad 12, Paramedics 128 & 129, Duty 12, Utility 12, Brush 125 Mutual Aid: Gamber Engines 131, 134, Engine-Tanker 133, Paramedic 139; Winfield Engine 141; Mt. Airy Engine 12; Reese Engine 9-1; Randallstown Engine & Truck 18; Boring Air Unit 42; West Friendship Engine 3-1; Lisbon Engine 4-1; Bethany Engine 8-1 (Fill-In Station 12)