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Fire near BWI Airport? Officials issue statement as smoke seen in Baltimore
Smoke near Baltimore/Washington International Airport caused alarm but was identified as a planned fire drill.
Travellers and social media users were briefly alarmed Tuesday when smoke was spotted rising near Baltimore/Washington International Airport. But airport officials quickly stepped in to clarify that it was nothing to worry about—just a planned fire training drill.
The confusion comes not long after an unrelated incident on April 7, when a car caught fire near the airport’s baggage claim area. That blaze was brought under control quickly, and officials say they’re still investigating what caused it.
One person posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Is BWI on fire???” as black smoke rose in the background of videos from the area.
BWI Airport’s smoke was a training exercise
But despite how it looked, airport officials quickly stepped in to clarify: BWI was not on fire.
“The @BWIFire team will perform a fire training exercise this evening, beginning at approximately 8:00pm. Smoke and fire may be visible by those at the terminal and in areas near the airport. Please do not be alarmed,” BWI Fire and Rescue Department's official X account posted.
“Scared us for a second lol,” one user commented, adding, “That smoke is velvety black!” The drill was a routine part of firefighter training and not an emergency.
However, given the timing, some confusion was understandable, especially since it followed a real fire incident that took place just weeks earlier.
On April 7, a car caught fire near the airport’s lower-level baggage claim area, leading to visible smoke and momentary concern among travelers. Fortunately, the blaze was contained quickly by BWI’s Fire and Rescue team, and no injuries were reported. Flight operations were not affected, and officials are still investigating the cause of that incident.
