Silver Spring, D.C. Fires Cause Injuries, Extreme Damage

A candle that was knocked over by accident apparently caused a fire last night in Silver Spring that displaced about a dozen condominium residents and caused about $900,000 in damage, authorities said.

Also last night, two people were injured in a fire at a historic building in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Northwest Washington. One suffered smoke inhalation, and the other suffered burns. One person was carried from her apartment by firefighters.

The Silver Spring fire apparently began in a top-floor unit in a three-story building in the 2100 block of Walsh View Terrace in the Forest Glen section, according to fire department spokesman Pete Piringer.

He said investigators think that a woman lit a candle upon returning home and, without noticing, might have knocked it over while taking off her coat. The woman went to another room but smelled smoke and returned. When she opened a door to allow smoke to escape, air apparently rushed in, fueling the fire. It engulfed her unit and spread, Piringer said.

There was about $700,000 in damage to the building and the 10 units principally involved in addition to $200,000 in damage to personal possessions, he said.

Piringer added that everyone in the building had gotten out by the time firefighters arrived.

One firefighter was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, and two residents taken to a hospital for a checkup, Piringer said.

In searching for residents who might have remained inside, firefighters rescued or retrieved several pets, Piringer said. But a poodle belonging to the woman living in the unit where the blaze started was missing last night.

The Adams Morgan fire was reported on one of the top floors of the Altamont Apartments in the 1900 block of Wyoming Avenue.

The landmark structure in the Kalorama Triangle was built more than 90 years ago of brick and Indiana limestone and is known for its rooftop amenities.

The building, with its two brick rooftop pavilions, is visible for a considerable distance and itself offers spectacular views of the city.

The cause of the fire there was not immediately known.