Firefighters rescued a 54-year-old woman from the top floor of her smoke-filled rowhouse and passed her, assembly line style, down a spiral staircase to a waiting ambulance.

Fire/EMS was called just before noon on Sunday for the report of smoke coming from the second floor of a brick rowhouse at 1006 Independence Ave., SE. Arriving firefighters encountered smoke in a home that was locked. Battalion Chief Aide Sgt. Donnie Mayhew forced entry as firefighters from Engine 18 advanced hoselines up a spiral staircase to the second floor.

Lt. Greg Crowe and wagon driver C. Williams located the woman lying in the hallway outside her bedroom, which was fully engulfed in flames. As smoke continued to build upstairs, firefighters from Engines 18 and 8 and Truck 7 formed a line down the staircase and passed her from firefighter to firefighter until she was transferred to the care of EMS.

The woman sustained serious burns and smoke inhalation and was transported to Medstar, where her condition remained serious.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Damage has been placed at $5,000.