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Tuesday, February 20, 2007
House Fire Kills 1 on Florida
They had my entire block closed off this morning, and I had heard there was a fire. The fire was at 1260 Florida Ave. WUSA9 reports that an elderly woman perished in the fire. Here's the Post story. I believe that the woman (whose name I'm intentionally not using since they seem not to want to release is yet) had lived in that same house since she was a little girl. It appears that it was the sister of the woman that I refered to earlier (in an old version of this post). But the family has occupied this same house for decades.
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It was 1260 Florida Avenue. I live nearby and I didn't hear the sirens going off when the fire trucks came. I woke at 5:30 and saw that the fire trucks were there. The fire looks like it was on the second floor.
Here is the Washington Post Article. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/20/AR2007022000252.html
I think that the fire was not quite as localized as that article states. From what I saw, the windows on the back of the house had been smashed in as well. The people who lived there were a brother and sister who had lived in that house for about 70 years.
I think it was her although I often saw another woman sitting in their porch who was introduced to me as her sister. I'm not sure who lived in the house and who lived nearby and visited.
I've now told it was the sister who rarely left the house except for sitting on the porch who perished in the fire (so the woman I was earlier thinking of is the sister who is still alive).
What a tragedy to lose a life long resident of this community, Miss Rose L. Hill. Miss Hill was 79 years young at the time of her death. She was a life member of Holy Name Catholic Parish, attending mass on Saturday evenings until her health began to fail in the last four years. She moved into her family residence as a child with her parents and two older siblings, John and Reta. She was attended and graduated from Lovejoy Elementary School (currently a condomium dwelling on 12th & E Streets, NE), Browne Junior High and Cardozo High School. She was retired from the United States Department of State after more than 35 years of governmental service. She loved to travel and share her stories of growing up in Washington, DC during the segregation years and especially of residing in the Trinidad community.
I can recall her concern for placing a traffic light at the intersection of 13th & Florida Avenue. After attempting to petition for a traffic light, she along with other residents of the 1200 block and 1300 block of Florida Avenue blocked rush hour traffic for several days in the early 1970’s in order that a traffic signal be placed at the intersection.
I am truly grateful for the wise counsel she gave me as a child and later as her neighbor. For you see my family resided on both sides of the Hills for more than 50 years.
This community has lost a legacy that can not be restored. For with out residents like the Hills there would be no community….just people residing in homes.
I ask that the community pray for her siblings, John and Reta during this time. May their spirits and hearts be touched knowing that their community supports them.
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