Firefighters took almost eight hours to put out a four-alarm blaze overnight in Adams Morgan on the 2600 block of Adams Mill Rd., across from Pierce Park. The fire started at about 1:15 a.m., gutting a four-story apartment building and displacing residents of more than 30 units.
The length of time it took to battle the blaze is being blamed on low water pressure in Adams Morgan. WTOP explains that the firefighters originally tapped in to the 8-inch water main in the neighborhood, but that provided water at too low a pressure, so they were forced to run over 2,000 feet of fire hoses to Connecticut Ave., across the Duke Ellington Bridge, to connect to a 20-inch main.
The Post has more on neighbor and Ward 1 Council member Jim Graham’s reaction, who has pledged to get answers about whether water pressure in Adams Morgan is dangerously low. They also quote a WASA customer service representative who said pressure on Adams Mill Road is low compared to some other parts of the city because the street is elevated.
UPDATE: Turns out ESPN’s Tony Reali, host of Around the Horn, was a resident of the building that burned down.
Top photo by Valentin Puscasu and bottom two by lukekb.
