Fire tore through a large home under renovation in Northwest Washington, D.C., early Wednesday, leaving two next-door homes damaged and three neighbors displaced.
One firefighter suffered a minor medical condition, but no other injuries were reported from the two-alarm blaze. No one was inside the mansion, which largely collpased, DC Fire and EMS said
Firefighters got the call about 12:41 a.m. and arrived to find the large home on 31st Street NW in the Woodley Park area engulfed in flames. Firefighters said the fire was under control within a few hours, but flickers of flames could still be seen.
“When we got here, this house was fully involved in fire. Flames leaping into the air, radiant heat threatening the adjacent homes,” one firefighter told News4.
Since the home was on a cul-de-sac and had a steep hill behind it, fighting the blaze was challenging, DC Fire and EMS said.
Firefighters attacked flames from the outside, using a defensive approach instead of going into the inferno. A total of 75 firefighters and 20 pieces of equipment were involved, DC Fire and EMS said.
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"We will sacrifice a lot if we know people are inside," DC Fire spokesman Vito Maggiolo said. "But we've got a building that's under renovation, nobody's inside, it's fully engulfed in fire, it's getting ready to collapse. There's no need to go inside."
The large home was destroyed in the blaze, firefighters said. A home on the left had moderate damage and the home on the left had minor damage.
Plumes of smoke were visible from nearby neighborhoods.
Investigators are on scene to investigate the cause of the fire, but serious damage to the home delayed their work, DC Fire and EMS said.
Since the home is on a cul-de-sac, the traffic impact was minimal.
Stay with NBC Washington for more on this developing story
