Firefighters scrambled to a small home engulfed in flames in the 7700 block of Earl Ave. NW in Loyal Heights just after 7 this morning.

When we arrived shortly after firefighters, the smoke was so thick you couldn’t see the small, 1940s house, only the homes on either side of it.

A neighbor says a woman renting the home woke up when her dog began barking wildly. She was able to escape with her dog safely. “I hate that dog. It barks all the time,” a neighbor told us. “But I don’t hate it anymore.” The woman was evaluated by medics on scene for smoke inhalation.

Onlookers watched nervously as firefighters worked to keep the fire away from the next door homes — just eight feet away or so. A next-door neighbor says the heat and water from the fire broke a few of his window panes.

As the smoke began to dissipate in the morning sun, it was clear the small home was a complete loss. We’ll update this story as we learn more from fire investigators. (And thanks everyone for your tips!)