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Fire Shuts Down Baltimore County BranchAn early-morning fire May 5 shut down the Randallstown branch of the Baltimore County Public Library System. The one-alarm fire is believed to have started in the circulation workroom and spread to the roof, eventually causing about $250,000 in damage, according to the May 6 Baltimore Sun. No one was hurt in the blaze that firefighters brought to a halt mid-morning, though it flared up again about 3 p.m. “The stacks were not a total loss at all,” said BCPL Director James Fish, adding that damage to the collection appeared mostly due to smoke and water. However, the back of the library building was ruined and computers were found melted to the tops of desks. “I can’t say enough about the firefighters,” said Fish, who credited them with saving materials by quickly covering the stacks with plastic tarpaulins. Branch Manager Darcy Hill and her staff shoveled debris and pumped water from the building in the days following the fire to prevent mildew from spreading to undamaged books. A county spokesperson said money will be found in the budget for repairs. Posted May 14, 2001. |
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