Four people, including three young children, were hospitalized after an apartment fire in Southwest Washington early Saturday. It was the second serious fire in the neighborhood in the past two days.
D.C. fire and emergency services spokesman Pete Piringer said the blaze broke out at 1516 Second St. SW, a three-story brick building, at about 1:30 a.m.
Firefighters rescued at least five people from the building and helped others escape, Piringer said.
A 62-year-old woman was taken to a hospital, Piringer said, for treatment of burns to her hands that were serious, but not life-threatening. A 6-year-old boy, a 4-year-old girl and a 1-year-old girl were also transported to a hospital for smoke inhalation. They were in good condition, he said.
The blaze started on the first floor and the cause is under investigation.
Firefighters are canvassing that neighborhood Saturday to educate people about smoke alarms and fire safety, Piringer said. A woman was killed in a fire Friday morning at 1422 First St. SW, an apartment two blocks away. In that fire, the smoke alarm was disabled, Piringer said. He said it wasn’t clear yet whether smoke alarms were working at the site of the Saturday blaze.
