A large fire broke out in an apartment on the third floor of a building at 300 M Street in Southwest D.C. just after 2 p.m. on Sunday.
D.C. Fire and EMS responded to the blaze that “heavily involved” an apartment in fire and left a number of people in distress, according to spokesman Vito Maggiolo.
2 Alarm Fire 400 M St SW. Heavy fire 3rd floor Apt. in occupied 10 story building with numerous occupants in distress. Rescued in progress. pic.twitter.com/1Al9Y5sXfW
— DC Fire and EMS #StayHomeDC (@dcfireems) May 24, 2020
The second alarm call went out at that point, bringing an additional 20 fire and rescue units and 100 firefighters to the 10-story building just across the street from Metro’s Waterfront station.
Firefighters controlled the fire and helped a number of people to safety, including some who climbed down ladders, Maggiolo said.
The tweet below shows two women being rescued from their balcony.
Update 2nd Alarm 400 M St SW. Fire knocked down. We have made rescues where necessary and sheltering others in place. Some rescues via ladders. Considerable smoke on several floors. #DCsBravest continue searching and assisting residents in distress. pic.twitter.com/DlqYr8toNK
— DC Fire and EMS #StayHomeDC (@dcfireems) May 24, 2020
One person was taken to the hospital due to smoke exposure and two pet cats died in the fire.
Investigators are working to find the cause of the fire and also assessing smoke damage. It’s not yet known how many people will be displaced.
“Considering the amount of fire on arrival, and the size of the building and number of occupants, our firefighters did an outstanding job,” Maggiolo said.
See the location of the fire via the map below.
WTOP’s Fonda Mwangi contributed to this report.
