An apartment fire in Southeast D.C. on Veterans Day killed an Army veteran in her home, her family says.
Kim Day died Monday after a fire broke out in her second-floor apartment in the 3100 block of Buena Vista Terrace SE, her daughter said. She was 53.
"She was just this little old lady that loved the community, loved music, loved playing cards," her daughter said.
Day lived in her apartment for more than three decades and was a grandmother figure to many residents.
"Her voice and her presence — It's not gonna feel normal without seeing her," neighbor Deangelo Scott said.
A man walking his dog saw smoke pouring out of Day's window at about 7:15 a.m. He called 911.
But by the time firefighters rescued Day, it was too late. She was rushed to a hospital with critical injuries and died there.
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Day's daughter said she believes her mother may have started the fire by falling asleep while smoking on the couch. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Day's family is fundraising for funeral expenses.
