Fatal fire in Northwest linked to chimney debris, officials say

WASHINGTON - One man is dead after an overnight fire believed to be caused by chimney debris, fire officials said.

The fire was reported on the 1500 block of Ogden Street NW just before 1 a.m. Tuesday. 

According to D.C. Fire Marshal Ed Kauffman, the home had a self-installed chimney. Debris from the chimney is believed to be the cause of the fire, Kauffman said.

It’s possible the man was trying to extinguish the fire, he added.

"We want people to understand fire safety, especially around this time of the year – to practice cooking safety, to understand the use, proper use of extension cords and power strips, essentially keep an eye on them. Not to overuse, not to overload them," he said.

On Tuesday, fire crews canvassed the neighborhood to teach residents about fire safety and offer inspections.

"We’re not going to let this go by," Kauffman said. "As saddening as this is, this is still an opportunity for us to continue to engage with the residents and push out that fire safety measure to work to try to make sure this doesn’t happen again."

Theresa Jones lives nearby and said she noticed the commotion Tuesday morning when crews were responding to the home.

"We were trying to figure out what was going on, and we saw a truck, but we didn’t know. We figured it was a fire," Jones said.

Other neighbors said they were grateful the fire didn’t harm them, but they’re mourning their neighbor who died Tuesday.

"911 said get out of the house. The dogs, kids, y’all get out. Find your coats, because everyone was asleep," one neighbor recalled. "If we were asleep, it would have been us."

The man’s name has not been released as of this writing.