Baltimore city officials canceled a planned fireworks show at the 53rd annual Monument Lighting ceremony as firefighters battled blazes in other parts of the city.

“We’re about to light the Washington Monument!” Comptroller Bill Henry said to cheers from the crowd. “The bad news — in a moment of seriousness in the midst of celebration and levity — we have three particularly bad fires going on in Baltimore City right now that are being spread by the high winds. And because those fires require a lot of attention, we are not going to be able to set off the fireworks here tonight.”

Crowds gather around The Washington Monument in Mount Vernon for the holiday event. (KT Kanazawich for The Baltimore Banner)
Tori, 7, and Troy Shaw, 10, tell Santa and Mrs. Claus what they want for Christmas. (KT Kanazawich for The Baltimore Banner)
Excited attendees picked spots to view the fireworks—before they were cancelled for the night. (KT Kanazawich for The Baltimore Banner)

Thousands of residents braved below-freezing temperatures to crowd the Mount Vernon area for treats from around two dozen local food and drink vendors, entertainment from local arts groups, and the magic of seeing the Washington Monument illuminated with lights and fireworks. But persistent wind gusts forced the leaders of Mount Vernon Place Conservancy, who organized the event, to pull the plug.

Across town, meanwhile, city fire crews were battling a massive fire in Baltimore’s Woodberry neighborhood that was visible from Interstate 83 and had already led to the suspension of light rail service between Falls Road and North Avenue.

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On Thursday, the National Weather Service issued a Gale Warning for Baltimore, predicting that winds of 20-30 knots, or about 23-25 mph, with wind gusts of up to 45 knots, or about 52 mph, could affect the area. The advisory was in place until 10 p.m., just a couple hours before the fireworks were to be set off.

The Monument Lighting has been a tradition in Baltimore for 53 years and is considered to be the unofficial kickoff to the holiday season in Charm City. In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on large gatherings, the monument lighting was virtual.