WASHINGTON — DC officials say at least 30 families, totaling 76 people, are displaced following an apartment fire in Southeast that left two buildings uninhabitable according to DC Fire and EMS' Twitter.
Fire and rescue officials say they received multiple calls for a large fire along the 2600 block of Bowen Road just before 2 p.m. Tuesday. When officials arrived they could see flames shooting out from the top of the four-story apartment building.
"It was spreading rapidly. The stability of the building became in question. The attic was burning, the roof was burning," Vito Maggiolo with the DC Fire and EMS told WUSA9. He says more than 100 firefighters responded to the scene.
The fire extended across at least three buildings of the Oxford Manor Apartments. Fire officials did a sweep of the buildings and located one person on the second floor, according to Maggiolo. By that point, the fire had compromised the stairwell, forcing firefighters to evacuate the person using a ladder.
The person rescued has been taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation but is expected to survive. Crews also rescued several pets from the fire.
Among those pets, was Loretta's 5-month-old puppy, Blaze.
"Everything is gone basically," Payne told WUSA9. She says she rushed home from work overwhelmed with concern over her puppy.
"We only got the clothes on our back today. Nothing else," Payne added.
One firefighter was injured and taken to the hospital. They are expected to survive. Two of the three buildings have been condemned.
On Wednesday, DC Fire spokesperson Vito Maggiolo said the cause of the fire was ruled accidental as a result of fireworks. Neighbors on the scene said they saw a child playing with fireworks before the fire started.
According to investigators, kids were seen playing with Roman candles.
“We all enjoy fireworks, but many of us do not realize how dangerous they can be,” said Fire Chief John A. Donnelly Sr. “This is a terrible tragedy for the residents whose lives have been disrupted because someone else was not safe with fireworks. Please be safe with fireworks. Only legal fireworks outside and away from people and buildings.”
All parts of the Washington D.C. metro area restrict fireworks, but some places have tighter laws than others, and some ban fireworks outright. Here's a closer look.
In a statement, the Red Cross of the National Capital and Greater Chesapeake Region said, "trained disaster response volunteers are assisting residents of close to 30 units with help replacing medications and other essential items such as eyeglasses, disaster mental health and emotional support, financial assistance and other recovery resources, according to need."
The Red Cross says their team will continue to work with the impacted residents in the weeks and days to come.
Ward 8 DC Councilmember Trayon White says there is a long road ahead for the impacted neighbors to recover.
"All of these people are not going to be able to return their properties so they are going to have to start their lives somewhere else," he said.
DC Fire and EMS thanked their partners from Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Arlington, and Alexandria who filled in at the DC firehouses as they battled the fire on Bowen Road Southeast.