Hot water heater flash fire in apartment building

2/6/2026 12:01 PM

Fire & Arson

Morton St NW, Washington, DC 20010

Fire crews responded to a five-story apartment building on Morton Street NW for a report of a hot water heater flash fire in a utility room off the lobby courtyard. On arrival, they found no visible fire in the lobby area, no alarms sounding, and the lobby was clear. Crews were led to the utility room where a hot water heater had briefly caught fire. They checked whether the heater was powered by natural gas and used meters to check the building. It was determined the issue was not gas related but an electrical problem in the water heater element. The electric breaker to the unit was shut off, the water heater was opened and inspected, and the small electrical fire in the element was confirmed to be out. There was no active fire remaining, and only a limited number of units were held on scene while others were released.