Washington, DC - A large column of smoke in the afternoon sky signaled the start of a working house fire in Northeast Washington on Wednesday, January 22nd. A Box Alarm was sounded shortly before 3:30 P.M. for the report of a house fire in the 4500 block of Douglas Street NE. First arriving units encountered heavy fire in a one-story, detached frame dwelling, and a Working Fire Dispatch was immediately requested. An interior attack was quickly initiated on the flames, which had possession of the first floor and attic. This effort enabled the fire to be contained and controlled before it could spread to the adjacent exposures. There were no injuries in this blaze, but the single resident, who was not home at the time, was displaced. Red Cross assistance was requested. The cause of the fire is under investigation.