Protected by Police, FFs Extinguish Blaze at Historic DC Church
Source Firehouse.com News
Firefighters were able to quickly put out a small blaze in the basement of an historic church across from the White House late Sunday.
The fire at St. John's Episcopal Church—a house of worship built in 1815 that has been called the "church of presidents"—broke out just before 10 p.m. in Washington, D.C., the Washington Post reports. It was one of a number of fires started throughout the city as peaceful protests during the day became violent.
Police in riot gear protected crews as they extinguished a small fire in the basement of the parish house, home to the church's offices and nursery. Firefighters were able to get the flames under control before they caused a great deal of damage to the building.
“I guess God was on its side,” Vito Maggiolo, a spokesman for the D.C. fire department, told the Post. “It didn’t seem to have spread very much.”
Throughout the night, protesters ignited fires and looted businesses and buildings in neighborhoods around D.C.
