Northwest DC

‘Worst Nightmare': Man Describes Escape From Apartment Fire in Petworth

"I'm gonna miss my pit bull. But if we had had a better plan. Hopefully, well, hopefully in the future we will have a better plan"

NBC Universal, Inc.

Seven people are displaced after a fire burned through an apartment building in Petworth late Monday, authorities say.

The fire started on the back porch of the two-story building in the 4800 block of 3rd Street NW around midnight, according to D.C. Fire and EMS.

Flames and smoke could be seen billowing from the building as firefighters worked to put out the fire from the ground and ladder trucks.

News4 spoke to Tariq Abdal Haqq, who managed to escape the flames as they started to consume the two-story building.

Haqq said he and his girlfriend were watching television when they heard neighbors call 911 and say, “save my baby.” He then rushed into the hallway where it was hard to see.

“I noticed a stream of smoke. I grabbed the child, took her, took him outside. And then after that, the building pretty much filled with smoke,” Haqq said.

Seven people are displaced after a fire burned through an apartment building in Petworth late Monday, D.C. Fire and EMS says. News4's Derrick Ward reports.

The toddler made it out of the fire, but Haqq’s pit bull, who he and his girlfriend tried to save did not.

“We were able to, me and my girlfriend who lived in the apartment were able to rescue one of our dogs. The other dog did not make it out, unfortunately,” Haqq said.

Haqq and his girlfriend both went to the hospital with no life-threatening injuries. When they were released, they returned to their home to see how many of their items they could salvage.

He is a DJ who plays at local clubs and owns thousands of records, while his girlfriend sells vintage clothes. He hoped the clothes, equipment and sentimental items would make it through the fire.

“It's every, every DJ's worst nightmare," he said. "The clothes are gone. We don't know what we're gonna do."

While looking for what was left after the fire, Haqq realized he and his girlfriend need a fire emergency plan.

“Rest in peace Buttons. I'm gonna miss my pit bull. But if we had had a better plan. Hopefully, well, hopefully in the future we will have a better plan,” he said.

In total, seven residents and a dog have been displaced. A cat also died in the fire, and another is unaccounted for, according to firefighters.

People in the neighborhood reported hearing a boom around midnight.

Roads were closed while firefighters worked to extinguish the fire.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for more updates.

Contact Us