Two residents and a firefighter were injured after a fire tore through an apartment building in Southeast Washington.
The fire started Thursday night in the 1300 block of Alabama Avenue SE. When firefighters arrived, they found heavy fire on the first floor of the building.
The flames then spread to the second and third floors. Firefighters had to make several rescues using ladders.
"When I stepped into the living room, I heard my neighbor saying she couldn't see, her eyes were burning," said Lonise Jameson, who lives in the building. "I opened the door, and this cloud of smoke just hit me in the face."
Two residents were taken to the hospital, but they are in stable condition and are expected to be OK. A firefighter suffered a minor injury.
Thirteen people were displaced by the fire. The Red Cross was called in to help those resident.
Fire officials say the cause of the fire is under investigation.
