Families are working to pick up the pieces after a fire tore through their Southeast D.C. apartment building.
None of the residents were injured, but a firefighter was transported to the hospital with minor injuries, according to D.C. Fire and EMS.
“You saw black smoke at first and then you turned around and it was just like fire, under the black smoke,” said Danielle Mitchell, who lived in the building. “[…] You could smell the fire as soon as you open your apartment door. The smoke is what you could smell.”
Mitchell, along with her daughter, mother and several dozen of her neighbors, were inside of the Southeast apartment building.
She said residents haven’t been able to get back inside to get critical medication and see what valuables are still salvageable.
“My daughter’s medicine is in but they have a pad lock on the door so we can’t even get in,” Mitchell said.
“My brother’s urn, my mom’s urn, the bible that they gave us. I lost both of them last year, so for me those things are important,” said a resident named Dorthy.
D.C. Fire and EMS said they received a call about a fire at the building on E Street SE.
When firefighters arrived, they could see the fire along with thick clouds of gray and black smoke.
Fire investigators said the fire spread to the roof of the building, and they were able to evacuate the 12 occupied apartments that had 28 adults and 16 kids along with dogs and cats inside.
“They were able to search the entire building and make sure everyone was out, but they were unable to extinguish the fire right away,” said fire Chief John Donnelly. “After about 20 minutes of trying to put the fire out from the inside of the building, the units withdrew from the building and used the tower ladders and the ladder pipes to extinguish the fire from the outside.”
For the Mitchell family and her neighbors, they said many were preparing for back to school, and Mitchell’s daughter was preparing for her birthday this Friday.
“Her bookbag was supposed to be delivered today — I don’t know where they are going to deliver that too. her school uniforms were delivered last week, so they’re sitting in there probably still in the plastic bag,” Mitchell said. “[…] “My daughter has experienced a lot of loss in her young life. Trying to stay strong for my daughter”
All of the residents say they are glad none of their neighbors were injured but want to ensure their memories aren’t reduced to rubble.
“To look at everything you worked on and everything I felt like I was building up to but at the same time, I just have to remember that God got me this, and it’s going to get me somewhere else,” Dorthy said.
D.C. Fire and EMS said it is still working to determine what led to the fire.
from Local – NBC4 Washington https://ift.tt/pZiYJlD
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