5 months ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WUSA) - District Firefighters rescued several residents from a fire in an apartment building in northwest Thursday morning. That fire, in the 5600 block of 13th Street northwest, was later ruled an arson.
Pete Piringer, spokesperson for DC Fire EMS, says investigators believe a mattress and other debris in a hallway were set ablaze.
Piringer says firefighters arriving on scene found some residents hanging from windows threatening to jump. Others had lowered bed sheets from windows in an attempt to escape the smoke and heat of the fire. Piringer says firefighters assisted numerous residents from the building, many using ladders. He says firefighters rescued about 18 people by ladder, including two children, who were taken to a hospital.
At least 15 people were evaluated for smoke inhalation at the scene. Piringer says three other victims had to be transported to a local hospital for treatment. Two of the patients transported were juveniles. The third transport was a woman in her twenties who was taken to a hospital as a priority since she suffered from a pre-existing medical condition. A firefighter was also taken to the hospital for evaluation after showing signs of heat exhaustion at the fire scene.
Piringer says several families will be displaced.
