One Dead, Firefighter Injured in Reisterstown Blaze

An early morning fire along Main Street in Reisterstown claimed the life of one man and seriously injured a 7-year veteran volunteer firefighter.

Steven Starr, 58, was pronounced dead early Wednesday morning after firefighters rescued him from the second floor of a burning three-story Victorian home in the unit block of Hanover Road.

Gene Kirchner, 24 and a firefighter at the Reisterstown Volunteer Fire Company, was rescued from that same floor. He is being treated at University of Maryland Shock Trauma where he is in critical condition, according to Elise Armacost, a fire department spokeswoman.

Both men were injured in a fire that broke out shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday morning. The three-story Victorian home, which had been divided into apartments, showed heavy fire and smoke on the first floor that spread to the second floor, Armacost said.

Four other residents of the home managed to escape the building on their own. Firefighters found Starr on the second floor already suffering from serious injuries. He was later taken to Northwest Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The distress call for Kirchner went out shortly before 1:30 a.m., according Armacost.

The extent of Kirchner's injuries were not released. The volunteer firefighter was initially taken to Northwest Hospital and later transferred to Shock Trauma where he remains in critical condition, Armacost said.

Kirchner was known for his work with youth at the station, Armacost said.

"This is a very traumatic day for the firefighters there," Armacost said.