Anika Johnson was upstairs in her bedroom at apartment #32 when she smelled smoke. She quickly ran out to the hallway and heard a loud pop. She immediately pulled the fire alarm, then grabbed her two young children and ran out of the building.
Anika’s timing was perfect, and her actions potentially saved lives. The fire fully engulfed #12, two floors down. Heavy smoke had filled the hallways blocking tenants on both the 2nd and 3rd floor from evacuating.
Total 38 people (31 adults and 7 children) were rescued. Four residents were evaluated and treated at the scene. No firefighters were hurt.
“We found numerous people were at the windows in distress,” said Vito Maggiolo a DC Fire and EMS Spokesperson. “We got a lot of ladders up and got everyone out safely.”
Officials dispatched 50 medics and firefighters to the scene, and it took about 15 minutes to bring the blaze under control
A cause of the fire is under investigation and the displaced residents are being assisted by the Red Cross.
