2 killed in 2 separate Northwest DC fires

A man and a woman were killed in two separate fires overnight in Northwest D.C.

News4 spoke with, Kimberly Permodo, who narrowly escaped the flames and is the daughter of one of the victims.

“It is just really traumatizing what I have experienced,” Perdomo said.

Around 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning, Perdomo woke up to flames in the apartment she shared with her mother on Newton Street NW.

“My first instinct was to look for her and I couldn’t find her,” Perdomo said.

Perdomo identified her mother to News4 as Arely Andrade and shared a photo of them from when she was younger.

Perdomo believes the fire began in the kitchen. She was able to escape, but her mother did not.

She says her mother battled health issues.

“My mom was a really hard-working woman who was suffering from cancer and she had been fighting for it a long time,” Perdomo said.

Before putting out the flames here on Newton Street NW, firefighters responded to another fire just hours before and only a few hours away on 13th Street NW.

“The whole block was blocked off and you could see everybody evacuating from the building,” said Lily McCann, who lives nearby.

A fire broke out at a second-floor apartment around 9:30 p.m. on Friday night, killing a man.

Video from a neighbor shows the scene.

Firefighters say it was difficult to battle the flames because there was a lot of clutter in the home. However, neighbors felt the response was fast.

“From what we saw seemed really quick,” McCann said. “The firemen and women that were all reacting to the fire seemed very equipped.”

Back on Newton Street, crews boarded up the building.

Firefighters say the damage was so significant it’s not safe for people to live there anymore. Five people have been displaced.

Perdomo wishes she could’ve stopped the fire from happening.

“It’s just really heartbreaking because it was just me and her living in the apartment,” Perdomo said. “I wish I could have woken up earlier, probably saved her.”

Firefighters believe both fires were accidental, but are still investigating what caused them.

DC Fire and EMS has not released the name of the man who died in the fire on 13th Street yet.