WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Sunday night fire that started in an electrical panel tore through La Bonne Vache, the French bistro on Prospect Street NW in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood, leaving the dining room in ruins and two upstairs residents without a home for now.
DC Fire and EMS crews were sent to 3265 Prospect St. NW at about 9:33 p.m. on Oct. 18. The department logged the call at 9:34 p.m. and had firefighters there within two minutes. Pepco crews cut power to the three-story building while firefighters worked.
The flames stayed on the first floor, where the restaurant is, though the floors above took smoke and utility damage. Staff were closing up for the night when the panel failed, and every employee got out. No one was hurt.
The two adults who lived in the apartment upstairs were displaced. The mayor’s community relations office and the Red Cross are helping them with housing.
Photos released by fire officials show charred walls, blown-out windows and tables tipped over across the dining room. The front windows have since been covered with boards. Investigators are still working out what made the panel catch fire.
The restaurant, which opened on Jan. 31, 2024, has closed for now. Its owners said on social media that they intend to rebuild and reopen, and a GoFundMe has been set up to support the staff.
It is the second restaurant fire in the city in recent weeks, after a rooftop fire earlier this month damaged The Royal in Shaw, which has since reopened.
Section: More Washington DC crime news
Filed under: Washington DC Public Safety News
