One man died Saturday in a fire at an apartment building in the 1400 block of Saratoga Ave. NE, and nine others were displaced their homes, the D.C. Fire and Medical Services Department said.
Police and fire officials did not name the victim, pending notification of his relatives, and said the fire left five adults and four children without homes.Firefighters said they had difficulty accessing the fire in the attic of the Brookland-area apartment because of a “rain roof” that had been constructed over the original roof. On Twitter, the department said crews kept the fire from spreading and extinguished the blaze minutes before noon.
“My team is at the scene of a fire on the 1400 block of Saratoga Ave NE,” council member Zachary Parker said on Twitter. “I send my condolences to the family of a gentleman we tragically lost in the fire. We are working with partners to support five neighbors displaced.”