By Susan Phillips
WUSA9
WASHINGTON — A case of hoarding may have hampered firefighters in battling an overnight blaze in Northwest DC that has left one woman dead.
Pete Piringer, spokesman for DC Fire and EMS, says firefighters were dispatched to the 1700 block of S Street around 10:30 Sunday night for a report of an apartment fire. Firefighters arriving on scene found heavy smoke coming from a unit on the second floor of a 4-story apartment building.
Piringer says materials collected by a possible hoarder made it difficult for firefighters to reach the blaze and extinguish it.
According to Piringer, one woman was rescued from the blaze and transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. The woman was later pronounced dead.
No other injuries were reported.
Firefighters were able to eventually snuff out the flames but not before heavy smoke forced the evacuation of the building.
Investigators believe the fire may have been caused by improperly discarded smoking materials. The damage to the building is estimated at $50,000.
Piringer says it has not been determined whether or not smoke detectors in the building were operational.
Republished with permission from WUSA9.