Firefighter, 'One of DC's Bravest,' Dies Wednesday After Battling Apartment Fire

DC firefighter Lt. Kevin McRae, a husband and father of three, died Wednesday morning after fighting an apartment fire. McRae collapsed after exiting the building.

“I am saddened by the loss of one of DC’s bravest, Lt. Kevin McRae who passed away following the fire on 7th St.,” said DC Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Bowser noted that McRae’s cousin James McRae was also a firefighter; he died in 2007.

McRae, 44, was with the DC fire department for 25 years and was a member of Engine 6, 1300 New Jersey Ave. NW. The firehouse was adorned in black later Wednesday afternoon.

Fellow firefighters gathered outside Medstar Washington Hospital (see photo above courtesy of fire department, posted to Twitter) and saluted as McRae’s body left the hospital and passed by in a procession of vehicles.

Two residents are also reportedly in serious condition.

Firefighters responded at about 8 a.m. to the two-alarm fire on the ninth floor of an apartment building at 1330 7th St. NW (see map) in DC’s Shaw neighborhood.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured in this morning’s fire on 7th St. NW,” Mayor Muriel Bowser initially said on Twitter. “I’m proud of the work of our brave first responders.”

PHOTOS of Kevin McRae; apartment building on fire and crowd outside hospital courtesy of DC Fire and EMS; Google map of apartment fire location