Small Fire Evacuates D.C. Hotel

A small fire in the basement of a downtown hotel this morning forced the closure of streets at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue NW and 14th Street, briefly snarling the commute into town from parts of Northern Virginia, authorities said.

All streets were reopened by about 11 a.m.

The fire was reported at the JW Marriott hotel, on the northeast corner of the intersection, shortly after 6 a.m.

About 200 of the hotel's 933 guests evacuated the building, and a hotel employee suffered minor burns and was taken to Washington Hospital Center, officials said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but it is thought to have originated with electrical equipment, D.C. fire officials said.

Although the blaze was quickly extinguished, firetrucks and other emergency vehicles remained on Pennsylvania Avenue while crews checked for hot spots and other problems in the building.

Deputy Fire Chief Kenneth Crosswhite said about 200 hotel guests had rushed out onto the sidewalks when fire crews arrived to battle the blaze. Those who remained inside the hotel at that point were told to stay in their rooms while firefighters secured the building. Parts of the hotel were operating without electricity, Crosswhite said.