Several District of Columbia firefighters are being called heroes and are credited with saving the lives of eight people when fire erupted in an apartment building early Monday, April 11, 2005.
Just before 1:30, units from the District of Columbia Fire/EMS Department were called to the 300 block of 50th Street, NE in the Eastland section of the city.
Firefighters arrived on the scene with fire coming from the top floor of a three-story apartment building. As firefighters extinguished the blaze at one end of the building, firefighters made rescues on the other side.
Firefighters rescued eight people from a top-floor window using ground ladders, noted Alan Etter, Public Information Officer for D.C. Fire/EMS. Four of the eight residents were taken to the hospital suffering from minor smoke inhalation.
Fire investigators have determined that the fire was caused by smoking materials.
