DC Fire and EMS Department faced a dangerous blaze yesterday in the heart of Northwest D.C., where a fire started on the top floor of a vacant row house in the 1500 block of 9th Street NW. The fire, requiring a 2-alarm response, injured three firefighters who are now in stable condition according to hospital reports. A post from the DC Fire and EMS Department on X confirmed the extent of the fire, noting its spread to neighboring buildings.
Update now 2nd alarm: Fire top floor 3 story vacant row house extending to a similar type building https://t.co/CvvwounilY pic.twitter.com/7K2LUl5GXV
— DC Fire and EMS Department (@dcfireems) December 28, 2024
As crews brought the fire under control by 5:25 p.m., they continued to address hotspots, with some 100 personnel from about 20 units on the scene, according to NBC Washington. It is reported that six structures were affected, four of which were three-story row homes. The previous blaze over the summer left the building structurally unsound, preventing firefighters from entering and forcing them to combat the flames from the exterior.
Local residents' concern is rising, with the pattern of fires in these vacant homes causing unrest. "I just hope they figure out what happened here, it does concern me there seems to be a pattern," said John Spalding, a neighbor, in a statement obtained by ABC 7News. Another resident, Ken Rogers, who has lived opposite the burnt-out properties for 27 years, voiced frustration over the state of the buildings said to be owned by Shiloh Baptist Church, with calls for the city to intervene if the properties remain neglected."
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by D.C. Fire and EMS. Meanwhile, the 1400-1600 blocks of 9th Street NW and the intersect of 9th and N streets NW were closed due to the incident. Ken Rogers addressed concern about the future of the vacant buildings suggesting, "That they get utilized. That if the church and land owners aren’t using it, the city take over them and do something with the properties because this is getting ridiculous. Are we gonna have another fire in a couple more months here?" as told to ABC 7News.
