A young child is dead and several adults suffered burns and smoke inhalation after flames swept thru their home in Southeast D.C.
The fire erupted shortly before three A.M. on Saturday, April 28th, in a two story brick duplex at 3457 Minnesota Avenue S.E. The Office of Unified Communications initially dispatched the box alarm assignment to an address several blocks distant from the actual blaze. Firefighters arrived at that location to find nothing, and were requesting a callback when the were redirected by a motorist who had passed the blaze and saw the apparatus responding elsewhere.
Engine 15 arrived first due at the fire when they ran across it while responding down Minnesota Avenue to the original reported address. They immediately began an aggresive interior attack on the home, which was fully involved. Four adult victims had already fled the dwelling, including some who jumped to safety.
Despite the fire's intensity, it was knocked down relatively quickly, Unfortunately, the body of the five year old female victim who was unable to escape was found on the second floor.
Four adults were transported to area hospitals. Fire investigators believe the blaze originated from an electrical malfunction. The Office of Unified Communications, which is an independent agency not part of D.C. Fire and EMS, is conducting an investigation into what led to firefighters being initially dispatched to the wrong address.
