Firefighters spent much of Friday afternoon battling a four-alarm fire at a commercial building in Remington that prompted evacuations for over 20 people as the thick smoke and flames threatened nearby homes.

“I would not be surprised if, at some point, [the building] does collapse,” Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace said in a news briefing.

Wallace said firefighters will continue to dump water from the exterior and maintain a defense between the warehouse and homes — a key priority.

“The firefighters from BCF 100% saved the houses back here on 23rd Street,” Wallace said. “They’re inside of the homes with handlines. They’re on the roof with handlines. And they’re in the air above the homes with handlines.”

Clavel, a Mexican eatery and bar on West 23rd Street, announced on social media that it will be closed Friday after having to evacuate the restaurant due to the fire.

Mollie Bailey was working on her laptop around 1:30 p.m. when she smelled smoke.

“I thought, ‘Oh gosh, did I leave the oven on?’” said Bailey, who lives on West 23rd Street.

She peered through the window to see smoke billowing across her neighborhood. Bailey got calls from friends in Hampden who said they could see the smoke.

John Marsh, a spokesperson for the Baltimore City Fire Department, said there have been no injuries in the fire blazing at a commercial building at the intersection of West 23rd Street and Hampden Avenue.

An emergency alert issued around 2:30 p.m. urged those in the 400 block of West 23rd Street to evacuate immediately.

“I threw on clothes, grabbed my purse and left,” Bailey said.

Bailey said she assisted neighbors and those at a nearby doggy day care in evacuating.

Emergency response vehicles lit up West 23rd and West 24th streets, blocking anyone who tried to inch closer. A fire hose snaked down West 24th Street and Huntingdon Avenue as firefighters worked to put out hot spots, officials said.

Firefighters contained the blaze just before 5 p.m., Marsh said.

“With the high winds and heavy smoke, the fire could have been a lot worse,” Marsh said.

Officials are urging people to avoid the area, and the Maryland Transit Administration implemented a detour for the southbound LocalLink 94 bus until 5 p.m.

Members of the Baltimore City Office of Emergency Management and Baltimore Police Department are also on the scene.

Remington is a neighborhood in North Baltimore known for its historic rowhomes, arts scene and popular hubs such as food hall and event space R. House.

Bailey headed to R. House with her fingers crossed in hopes the fire wouldn’t spread and she and her neighbors would be spared.

“It’s scary,” she said. “I just hope everyone’s OK.”

Residents can meet with emergency management personnel at the Church of the Guardian Angel at 335 West 27th St. if they need a place to stay, Councilman Zeke Cohen said in a post on X.

Scott Marder, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross of the National Capital & Greater Chesapeake Region, said the group was preparing an emergency vehicle with food and water for residents.

Matthew Walley and Joshua Waskey of the global response network Rapid Relief Team posted up at West 23rd and North Howard streets to distribute food and water to first responders.

In the past, they have served first responders at the scenes of the Key Bridge collapse and the Reagan National midair collision.

“It’s a lot of needs when things like this happen, so we all just come together,” said Walley, the Baltimore lead for Rapid Relief Team.

They had six boxes of pizza on their table for first responders — and even passersby who jokingly asked if they were sharing — and more in their truck.

“We’re just waiting to see how quickly they go through these,” Walley said.

This story has been updated.