Lightning Strike Sparks Fire at St. Rita Catholic Church in Dundalk

On July 1, 2025, Baltimore County 911 received a call at approximately 2:34 p.m. reporting fire coming from a second-floor window of St. Rita Catholic Church, located at 2901 Dunleer Road in Dundalk.

Fire crews arrived within minutes to find smoke and fire showing from a second-floor area of the church. Due to the size and complexity of the structure, incident command requested a second alarm, bringing nearly 75 fire and EMS personnel to the scene.

Firefighters worked aggressively to battle the blaze using both interior and exterior operations. Medics treated one firefighter for a heat-related illness.

Fire investigators from the Baltimore County Police Department have determined that the cause of the fire was natural. Storm data indicates that between 2:25 p.m. and 2:28 p.m., seven powerful lightning strikes occurred within 0.1 miles of the church. The first 911 call reporting the fire was received just minutes later, at 2:34 p.m.