A woman helped her bedridden mother escape a house fire early Tuesday morning, fire officials said.
D.C. Fire & EMS received a call about 3:45 a.m. about the blaze in the 3500 block of N Street SE.
The woman was able to drag her mother to the front door, where D.C. Fire and EMS then helped get the family to safety. However, crews are still searching for for the family's missing dog.
Two people were evaluated by fire and EMS but declined further medical treatment, fire officials said.
It appears that the fire may have started in a bedroom. Investigators are on the scene to determine the cause of the fire.
Smoke detectors alerted the family to the danger. "Working smoke detectors played a crucial role in giving the family on N St SE those precious minutes needed to escape their burning home," fire officials said on Twitter, reminding D.C. residents who own and live in their homes that they can call 311 if they need a smoke detector.