A woman in hospital in critical condition and three families are displaced after a fire early Tuesday morning on the 1800 block of A Street.
DC Fire Emergency Medical Services (DC FEMS) was called to the scene at 3:57 a.m., and arrived only two minutes later, at 3:59 a.m.
When they got one the scene, there was already heavy fire on the first and second floors of the home, said spokesperson Darryl Levine.
Update: 2nd Alarm – 1800 Block of A Street – Fire on first and second floor – Extension to adjacent residences – One victim removed from fire transported in critical condition. Media staging area is 19th and A Street SE. pic.twitter.com/7dW4oxsb8D
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) May 12, 2021
A woman in her 60s was rescued from the fire and transported to hospital in critical condition. Speaking during a DCFEMS return visit to the scene, Levine said he was unable to give an update on the woman’s condition.
Neighbors said the woman shared the family home with her brother. Many said they feared the worst.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Neighbors said they awoke to a crackling sound; one man said he thought someone was going through trash at the rear of the home. When he went to the windows, there was ash and sparks flying through the air. The families escaped into the street as firefighters arrived.
The fire displaced three families, including the residents of the home where the blaze occured. Two adjacent buildings, one vacant, are now uninhabitable.
The Tuesday afternoon return visit by DC FEMS is normal when there has been a fatal fire, Levine said, but was being conducted today because of the age of the victim. “Seniors are a very vulnerable population when it comes to fire,” Levin said, “So we want to go out there, speak with the neighbors and share some information.”
Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6B representative Denise Krepp lives on the block. She and her husband were alerted to the fire by one of her children, who smelled smoke and woke them up. She said she feels fortunate their home was unscathed: the vacant house door next door is now uninhabitable due to the fire.
“What I can simply say is that I’m impressed,” Krepp said. “They [DCFEMS] came as quickly as they could and took the neighbor out.”
The Hill Rag is updating this story. We will share news of any aid that is organized for the affected families.
