Washington, D.C
'This was home': Residents devastated after blaze sparked by fireworks guts DC apartment building
Fireworks accidentally ignite massive DC apartment fire that displaced 76 residents
Officials say fireworks accidentally ignited a massive apartment fire in Washington, D.C. that injured a firefighter and left dozens of residents without a home.
WASHINGTON – Families who lived in one D.C. apartment building are devastated after officials say illegal fireworks are what sparked the two-alarm blaze that left them without a place to call home.
The fire broke out around 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Oxford Manor Apartments on Bowen Road in Southeast D.C.
FEMS says two kids playing with Roman candles are what caused this devastating fire that left 30 apartments destroyed and more than 75 people displaced.
Investigators say the firework landed on a second-floor balcony. Flames quickly shot out, spreading up into the attic and onto the roof, then to nearby apartments. The fire has been ruled accidental.
Two people went to the hospital with minor injuries but some of the residents FOX 5 spoke with say they are incredibly grateful it wasn’t worse.
Residents were going in and out of the burned building all day long, putting whatever they could salvage into black trash bags.
Fireworks accidentally ignite massive DC apartment fire that displaced 76 residents
Duane Campbell, who has lived in the apartments for 17 years, says he’s trying to stay hopeful amid the devastation.
“Words can’t really explain. You don’t wake up and this is something you can plan for. There’s no way. I’m still wrapping my mind around all of it but the only thing I can say is, every day might get easier,” Campbell said. “Today is just the beginning – the end of this, but everything has a silver lining.”
D.C. Fire is holding a news conference Thursday morning to detail which fireworks are allowed and which are not in the District, ahead of the July 4th holiday.
“This was home,” Campbell said. “I raised three kids here and it’s so unfortunate. So many things…memories that are never going to be replaced. But you put one foot in front of the other. You keep going. That’s life. It throws you curveballs you take a hit and keep going.”
Meanwhile, Minkoff Restoration shoring up the damaged apartments and guiding residents in safely to recover what they can.
“We’ve been working hard to get the building safe so we can do that. Wrapping the building with a security fence, boarding the windows, locking everything so nobody can get into each other’s apartments,” Guy Tull with Minkoff Restoration said.
Tull also wants to remind people how crucial renter’s insurance is – a lot of these folks didn’t have it and are at a loss for what to do next.
The Red Cross is working to help those impacted.