D.C. Fire and EMS is investigating what caused an early-morning fire Friday that injured four firefighters in northeast Washington.
It started shortly after midnight in the 800 block of 48th Place NE. Firefighters said they arrived at the scene thinking someone may have been trapped inside the burning home. The rescue squad entered the house to attempt a search and rescue, then minutes later the roof came crashing down.
Two firefighters were able to make it out on their own, but another had to be rescued. That firefighter, Chuck Ryan, suffered critical burns. A fourth firefighter was also transported to the hospital with injuries.
Neighbors said the house had been abandoned for at least two years, but that from time to time, people did go inside the house. It is unclear if these people were squatters or boarders.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. The four firefighters were the only ones injured. No one else was inside the home at the time.
Ryan is also a volunteer chief at the Riverdale, Md., Fire Department.
