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Cleanup Underway After Fire Rips Through D.C. Apartment Complex

WASHINGTON D.C. (WJZ) -- Cleanup operations are underway after a massive fire ripped through a D.C. apartment complex.

Scores of firefighters are still on scene late Wednesday night following a massive fire at a senior citizen apartment complex.

Amazingly, there have been no reported injuries.

74-Year-Old Man Found Alive 5 Days After Massive Fire At DC Senior Apartment Complex

82-year-old Norman Bowlding says he is lucky to be alive.

He says he likely lost everything thing in this fire, but is grateful he, like so many others, walked away unharmed.

Steady streams of water were still gushing from firefighters' hoses Wednesday night.

The heavy response was followed by hours of work for teams of firefighters doing battle with this raging inferno at this senior citizen apartment complex.

"Units had extensive issues with trying to extinguish the fire due to the heavy volume," a fire official said.

Some of D.C.'s bravest rescued some inside the Arthur Capper Senior Apartments who were trapped by the 2-alarm fire.

Four people taken to local hospitals, but amazingly, there were no reported injuries.

"Thank the good Lord that I'm here," Bowlding said. "I heard a bang from up the roof. I don't know if it was the air conditioning or what, but I was told to hurry up and come on out of the building."

He was taken to another nearby apartment building until his family arrived.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The focus is now making sure displayed aren't forgotten.

Arthur Capper Senior Apartment is a new senior community in Capitol Hill that was completed in 2007. 900 block of 5th Street. The five-story building houses senior citizens and has 162 apartments.

More than 80 residents were displaced by the fire.

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