A firefighter has died after collapsing while working a fire in a high-rise apartment building in the Logan Circle neighborhood. The incident happened at the 1300 block of 7th Street NW around 8:10 a.m. on Wednesday. Mayor Muriel Bowser identified the firefighter as Lieutenant Kevin McRae, a 24-year veteran with the fire department. It was not immediately known how McRae died. Acting Fire Chief Gregory Dean stated that McRae and the crew of Engine 6 were the first to arrive on the scene. Dean, who was at the fire, described it as a routine call up until McRae exited the building and collapsed. McRae was immediately treated by paramedics and then transported to the emergency room at MedStar Washington Hospital Center where he died. The medical examiner will ultimately determine what killed the firefighter. Meanwhile, Dean has ordered an investigation to evaluate how firefighters responded to the two-alarm blaze and to determine if anything could have been done differently. He also requested for an outside review to assess the firefighters’ performance. In addition to Lieutenant McRae, another firefighter and two residents of the building were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The second firefighter was treated and released. The cause of the fire and where it started are not yet known.
