A hoverboard is to blame for an apartment building fire that displaced a family and their two pet cats in Southeast D.C. Wednesday afternoon. The fire happened after 3 p.m. on the 700 Block of 31st Street.
Some 40 firefighters extinguished the blaze in about 10 minutes and contained it to a single apartment in the two-story building.
Update Box Alarm 700 Box Alarm 700 block 31st St SE. Fire first floor of 2 story apartment building. Fire under control. Firefighters brought cat to safely into hands of owner. Request @RedCrossNCGC for 2 adults & 5 children displaced. No injuries. pic.twitter.com/E2mpc6UmQM
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) December 28, 2022
Vito Maggiolo, of D.C. Fire and EMS, told WTOP that the blaze began after a hoverboard caught fire while it was charging. Members of a family with five children have been displaced but no one was injured. Red Cross officials are providing services to the family, Maggiolo said. Firefighters rescued the family’s two cats from the burning apartment and brought them safely into the hands of their owners. The cats were also unharmed.
Firefighters located a 2nd cat that had been hiding from the smoke at the 31st St SE fire and returned it to owner. Both cats were unharmed. #DCsBravest pic.twitter.com/cAqtxsW7KH
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) December 28, 2022
Below is a map of where the fire took place. [google_map latitude=”38.88000567997976″ longitude=”-76.96292477548597″ zoom=”15″ height=”300px” location_label=”” dynamic_map=”false”]