The families of the three Baltimore firefighters who died in the 2022 Stricker Street fire say Mayor Brandon Scott and City Council “ignored their job and their responsibility” following the arrest of a Baltimore man who is now facing charges for the blaze.
James Barnett, 57, was arrested and charged Friday with second-degree arson, three counts each of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment for allegedly starting the fatal fire at a vacant home located at 205 S. Stricker St. He doesn’t have an attorney listed in online court records as of Sunday afternoon.
The families of the firefighters who were killed and injured in the fire criticized Baltimore officials for their handling of the case and their “refusal” to hear the concerns from the families.
“Unfortunately, Baltimore City through Mayor Brandon Scott and the City Council, have ignored their job and their responsibility to our loved ones — Kelsey Sadley, Paul Butrim, Kenneth Lacayo and John McMaster, and to the people of Baltimore City and the rest of our first responders to ensure this devastating and preventable tragedy never happens again,” the families said in a Sunday statement.
Scott’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates announced in 2023 a new review of the case, blaming former city State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby for lack of movement in the case.
“It is an unfortunate and tragic incident that should have been addressed long before now, but we are committed to moving forward on this matter with resolve to accomplish justice in this case,” said Bates, a Democrat, when the new review was announced.
The families applauded Bates, Baltimore Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for their “relentless pursuit of justice” that led to Barnett’s arrest.
The fire occurred early on the morning of Jan. 24, 2022. When firefighters arrived, the home was “fully engulfed in flame,” according to charging documents.
Fire lieutenants Paul Butrim and Kelsey Sadler and firefighter/paramedic Kenny Lacayo were fatally injured when they became trapped in the vacant burning building, which collapsed on them. Lacayo and Sadler were extracted after an hour but suffered fatal cardiac arrests at the scene. One other firefighter survived.
Police say Barnett was captured on surveillance footage from a nearby address on Pratt Street entering the rear of the home shortly before midnight on Jan. 23, 2022.
Surveillance footage showed Barnett “creating several flashes of light inside the first floor of the structure” then leaving eight minutes later, charging documents state.
By 5:25 a.m., the footage showed “sustained flame” from the home’s rear doorway. Twenty minutes later, the first and second floors were ablaze.
Enhanced forensic image processing techniques allowed investigators to examine the light sources in the surveillance footage pixel by pixel, according to charging documents. Investigators believe the flashes of light were consistent with “periodic flint igniter sparks and the open flame produced by a butane cigarette lighter.”
Shortly after the fire, a person of interest captured on the surveillance footage at the time was circulated by investigators and offered a six-figure reward. For nearly four years, no charges followed — prompting renewed scrutiny of how the case had been handled.
A separate operational investigation conducted by a regional board of fire officers detailed the catastrophe, citing that firefighters lacked crucial information at the scene and that the first-arriving commander was flooded by radio traffic.
The report also found that early size-ups failed to account for the home’s long vacancy and prior damage which deemed the building a tinderbox.
The families of the firefighters launched a lawsuit alleging that Baltimore officials had effectively put firefighters into a “death trap.” The complaint did not successfully argue that the injured and deceased firefighters had their rights violated by a state-created danger, U.S. District Judge Matthew Maddox ruled in December 2024.
A new lawsuit was launched a month later, which, like its federal counterpart, alleges that the city failed to inform firefighters that it had discontinued a program called “Code X-Ray” that marked vacant residences with an “X.” That program never formally ended, but the use of the marks was halted amid complaints that the signs were tarnishing the reputations of certain communities.
The families said in their statement regarding Barnett’s arrest that city officials have yet to meet with the families, which “forced the families to file suit.”
“This is about demands we have that will make firefighting in Baltimore City safer and bring closure to our families and loved ones,” the families said. “Yet, here we are three years later with little to no resolution, being pushed aside by the same city officials who refuse to listen to our pleas yet wish to take credit for bringing a false sense of closure to us.”
This article will be updated.
Dan Belson and Racquel Bazos contributed to this article. Have a news tip? Contact Matt Hubbard at mhubbard@baltsun.com, 443-651-0101 or @mthubb on X.
