Update: Fire Extinguished at 1733 34th Street, Power Out for Entire Block

Updated 5:02 p.m.

Bob Hainey, a PEPCO spokesperson, said initial investigations by the utility company indicate that a private contractor may have cut into a power line. The cut would have disrupted service and may have resulted in the fire, said Hainey. Patch observed contractors on the scene working on the home at 1733 34th St.

PEPCO is waiting on an official cause from D.C. Fire and EMS investigators.

Hainey said it appears that five homes have been affected by the power outage and that PEPCO should have power restored by 7 p.m. this evening.

Updated 3:38 p.m.

Bob Hainey, a spokesperson for PEPCO, said he had not heard that the fire was officialy started by the utility company's meters.

"We haven’t gotten any information to that...I don’t think that’s official," he said.

Peter Piringer, the Public Information Officer for D.C. Fire and EMS, said that while the official cause is under investigation, the preliminary information suggests that the blaze was electrical in nature and related to the PEPCO meters.

The original call for FEMS assistance was for smoking meters and when crews arrived at the scene the "both the ground and the meter were smoking," said Piringer.

PEPCO is uncertain how many customers are affected by the outage or when repairs will be completed. They will provide more information once it is available.

Updated 3:15 p.m.

The fire at 1733 34th St. has been extinguished. The blaze began when the PEPCO electrical meters are 1733 34th St. began smoking and spread to the neighboring power meter.

According to D.C. Fire EMS personnel on the scene the manhole in front of the townhouse at 1733 had smoke and flames spewing from it and the ground was felt to be shaking. The tree branches some 15 feet above the manhole were almost burnt by the blaze.

PEPCO has turned off all power for the 1700 block of 34th Street indefinitely.

Traffic was blocked on R Street between Wisconsin Avenue and  35th Street and 34th Street was closed from R Street to Wisconsin Avenue. Approximately 50 Fire and EMS personnel were on the scene.

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Original Post

D.C. Fire and EMS is reporting an electrical fire at 1733 34th St., according to its twitter account. According to FEMS, PEPCO electric meters and manholes are smoking.

PEPCO has been requested to the scene and several homes appear to be affected, according to FEMS.

Check back with Patch for more updates as they become available.