The remains of the fire along New Hampshire Ave next to the Petworth Metro

On Friday afternoon, February 10th, a fire was ignited on a tent belonging to an unhoused resident set up along New Hampshire Avenue next to the Petworth / Georgia Avenue Metro station.

The encampment was composed of a tent, wooden pallets and some shopping carts, along with possessions inside the tent. According to the DC Fire Marshal and Metro Police, the resident was not in the tent at the time.

Surveillance video from the Metro shows a suspect setting the structure on fire. The station manager saw the flames on his video system and called dispatch, telling them he was sure the resident was not in the tent. Metro Police and DC Fire & EMS responded, put out the fire and are investigating. (Because this occured on Metro property, MPD is not involved.)

The resident was located later in the evening and offered a new tent and supplies, along with access to Miriam’s Kitchen services to try to get the person into more permanent housing conditions.

Edit: This article was updated to fix that Miriam’s Kitchen is aiding the resident. They are the homelessness engagement providers for Ward 4.