Close to 100 firefighters extinguished a two-alarm blaze that broke out early Wednesday morning on the 3100 block of Bladensburg Road NE, according to D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services, shutting the block to traffic for hours.
Although no one was reported to have been inside the building, FEMS says the fire took almost four hours to put out in part because of the large size of the commercial site. One firefighter was transported to a hospital with minor injuries. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but FEMS says a business’ “wood restoration work” may be a factor.
Update Bladensburg Rd NE. Fire inside a very large commercial building with several addresses. Still active fire. pic.twitter.com/4ZqLKSc6Xo
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) July 13, 2016
Difficult firefight due to difficult access and depth of building. Extending hose lines to reach fire. pic.twitter.com/w2PXmTros5
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) July 13, 2016
Rotating & rehabbing FF's due to lengthy operations. Fire mezzanine storage area extended to roof all knocked down. pic.twitter.com/mZdOykpF3V
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) July 13, 2016
Officials say the fire took about an hour and a half to get “under control.” It occurred near the Maryland border, on the same block that the DC Brau distillery is located on.