Sixteen people are without homes, a person is seriously injured and a dog died after an intentionally set fire tore through a Northeast D.C. apartment building early Friday, according to D.C. Fire and EMS.
The fire happened around 1:30 a.m. on 1st Place in the Fort Totten neighborhood, fire officials say.
One person has serious injuries after jumping from a third-story window, the fire department said.
No other injuries were reported, and the fire department said it rescued several people from the third floor.
Vito Maggiolo with D.C. Fire and EMS said when firefighters arrived they found several people calling for help.
“There were a number of people in distress, at windows, seeking assistance,” Maggiolo said.
Arriving firefighters used ladders to get to those trapped out of harm’s way.
“We immediately went into a rescue mode, placing portable ladders to several windows and brought several people down,” Maggiolo said.
The basement fire was knocked down quickly by fire crews, but a dog died in the flames.
An accelerant sniffing canine was on the scene early Friday to assist in determining the cause.
A map of the location of the fire is below:
WTOP’s Valerie Bonk and Mike Murillo contributed to this story.
