At 0225 hours, Box Alarm 5-71 toned out for the 400 blk of S. Broadway Street in Fells Point for the reported building fire. Engines 5, 41, 2 (RIT), 23, 33, Trucks 3,1, Rescue 1, and Battalion Chiefs 2, 1 made up the first alarm assignment. Engine 5 and Truck 3 arrived on location with a 3 story, commercial, store front with smoke showing from the third floor. Battalion Chief 1 assumed Broadway Command, reported heavy smoke showing with fire from the roof area in the rear at 418 S. Broadway Street “Bedeke’s Paints”, and exposure problems on the B and D sides. At 0231 with smoke condtions rapidly expanding Battalion Chief requested the second alarm. Companies on the second alarm were Engines 6, 51, 55, Squad 26, Trucks 6, 5, Air Flex 2, and Battalion Chief 6. Companies advanced a line into the first floor of the fire building and were met with heavy fire conditions throughout the ground floor. Truck 1 set up in the rear and advised of fire through the roof. Engine 23 supplied Truck 1 for ladder pipe operations. Water Tower 1, manned by the crew of Engine 6, responded to the scene on a special call. Companies were able to make a knock on the bulk of the fire on the first floor but the fire had already extended to the upper floors and exposures. Command requested the evacuation tones for the fire building at 0240 hours. The fire involved all floors and thru the roof of the fire building and extending into side B, a 2 story storefront with a church attached both used for paint storage, and side D, a 3 story, commercial building. With all companies going in service with exterior operations using ladder pipes, deck guns, and 2.5” lines, Command requested the third alarm at 0305 hours bringing Engines 8, 42, 13, 14 and Trucks 25, 20 to the scene. A partial collapse of the rear prompted command to set up a collapse zone on side A and C. 4 additional engine companies (20, 50, 36, 35), Truck 27, and Haz Mat were special called to the scene at 0331 hours. A fourth alarm transmitted at 0420 hours brought Engines 4, 58, 31, Squad 54, Trucks 10, 26, and Battalion Chief 12 to the scene. A 3 story building on the B side around the corner on Eastern Avenue started to issue heavy smoke and eventually would become heavily involved requiring exterior operations. Companies continued to engage in exterior operations as dawn broke over the city revealing the extent of the damage. The fire was placed under control around 0830 hours and units remained on the scene for an extended period of time dousing hot spots.