Fire Rips Through D.C. Apartment Buildings, Nearby Church

Washington, DC (AHN)-Hundreds of firefighter battled a five alarm apartment fire in the Washington, DC neighborhood of Mount Pleasant on Wednesday, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate the area.

The fire, which broke out at an apartment building at 3145 Mount Pleasant St Northwest, caused the evacuation of four other neighboring residential buildings and a church in the area. Firefighters also shut down 16th St NW in order to accommodate the large number of emergency vehicles and fire trucks needed to bring the blaze under control.

City officials said approximately 200 firefighters and 80 pieces of equipment were needed to contain the fire, which broke out on the top half of the four-story structure at around midnight last night. The fire continued to rage well into the morning, with parts of the apartment building still smoldering at 9:30 a.m.

The fire spread to the nearby Meridian Hill Baptist Church, where most of the roof was destroyed, and would need major repair work before it can be used again, city officials confirmed.

Despite the massive structural damage to the rental apartment building, which was almost totally destroyed in the blaze, no injuries were reported. One firefighter was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.