1 dead after Christmas Eve fire in DC’s Columbia Heights neighborhood

A man was killed early Christmas Eve morning after a fire erupted inside a house in Northwest D.C., according to the city’s fire department.

D.C. Fire and EMS received reports of smoke and fire just before 1 a.m. Tuesday on Ogden Street in Columbia Heights.

When firefighters arrived, they found a man inside showing no signs of life. First responders tried to revive the man, but he ultimately died, according to the department’s Chief Communications Officer Noah Gray.

The fire started while the man was using his fireplace, which fire officials said appeared to be self installed. As he was using the fireplace, debris got onto the floor and ignited combustibles inside the house, D.C. Fire Marshal Ed Kauffman said.

“Out of this unfortunate incident, we just want everybody to understand fire safety in the home,” Kauffman said. “One, to have proper, functioning and operating appliances, to make sure that they are taking care and servicing their fireplaces properly, so that they are clean and in proper working order.”

According to Kauffman, the fire stayed contained to the first floor of the house around the fireplace, but was significant enough to kill the man.

No one else was inside when the fire erupted, Kauffman said.

Following the fire, members of the department went door to door in the neighborhood as part of its “return to scene initiative.” Members of the fire prevention division performed home safety inspections in the area and made sure homes have working smoke alarms.

“This is a very sad morning, it’s Christmas Eve morning and we lost a life in a fire, and we don’t want to see that happen anymore,” Gray said.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Thomas Robertson

Thomas Robertson is an Associate Producer and Web Writer/Editor at WTOP. After graduating in 2019 from James Madison University, Thomas moved away from Virginia for the first time in his life to cover the local government beat for a small daily newspaper in Zanesville, Ohio.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up