4 DC Firefighters Burned---Two Critical Condition

All information derived directly from dcfd.com and dcfire.com:

Units responded at 3:17 PM for the report of the house on fire in the 600 block of 4th Street, Northeast. First responders arrived within five minutes to find heavy smoke and heavy fire in the rear of the building. Firefighters mounted an aggressive interior attack. A sudden rush of fire on the second floor trapped four firefighters. A Mayday was sounded as a second alarm was quickly called. A fast and heroic effort to rescue the stranded firefighters was effective. All four were able to get out of the involved area, and treatment was begun on the scene.

All four firefighters from Engine 4 were transported to MedStar and hospitalized. One firefighter remained in critical and unstable condition. A second was hospitalized in critical but stable condition. Two other firefighters were in what was described as good condition. All suffered burn injuries. The most seriously injured suffered burns to approximately 50% of his body.

The preliminary cause of the fire is accidental...but remains under investigation. Oily rags is one possibility...but not the exact cause yet. The fire caused propane tanks nearby to vent and explode, catching the rear porch on fire. The blaze then crawled up the rear of the affected house and spread to porches on either side of the rowhouse. There were no reported civilian injuries, and the damage estimate was still being calculated.

Update as of 0600 10/30:
Sgt Lacore suffered second degree burn to thirty percent he is in critical but stable condition, Firefighters Charlie Shyab and Douglas Donnely. were in what was described as good condition. All suffered burns injuries. The most seriously injured suffered burns to approximately 50% of his body.

Update as of 1100 10/30:
Sgt Lacore is undergoing surgery and remains in critical condition. The remaining 3 firefighters have been downgraded to "good" condition.

10/31 Update:
Sergeant Michael LaCore remains in critical condition at the Burn Intensive Care unit at MedStar. Surgery yesterday was successful, and test results indicate no respiratory burns. Very good news. Dave Statter of Statter911.com is reporting that Sgt. Michael LaCore has been able to write a letter to his wife, according to his mother. Firefighter Charlie Shyab has been upgraded to fair condition and has been transferred to the Burn Stepdown Unit, a transition to less critical care. Firefighter Shyab continues to improve. Firefighters Doug Donnelly and Kenneth Humphries were released from the hospital yesterday. Their progress continues to be excellent.