JANUARY 5, 2026 – Three West Virginia National Guard members on a routine presence patrol along Massachusetts Avenue Northwest recently stopped a dryer fire in an apartment building after detecting the faint smell of smoke.
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brett Fries, U.S. Army Sgt. Devin Cantwell and Pfc. Tyler E. Farley quickly sprang into action after smelling smoke.
“We were on patrol and thought we saw smoke, and I asked them if they smelled anything,” Fries said. “We stood there for a minute just to see if it happened again, and you could see it start rolling more and more out the window. So, Farley and I ran into the building while Sgt. Cantwell went to the fire station.”
With the help of a resident, Fries and Farley entered the apartment complex and discovered a dryer had caught fire in the second-floor laundry room. The blaze already had spread to the back wall.
“The smoke was coming out the second story of an apartment building,” Farley said. “We went upstairs and saw that it was coming out of the laundry room, so we got one of the residents to open the door for us.”
The team located a fire extinguisher in the building, extinguished the flames, escorted residents to safety and had the fire under control by the time D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services arrived.
“The building probably would have gone up [in flames],” Cantwell said.
Their sharp awareness and rapid response likely prevented a small incident from escalating into a catastrophic fire in a densely populated area.
As the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Mission enters its fifth month, members of Joint Task Force-District of Columbia continue to make tangible differences in the lives of residents and visitors alike.
Since the mission’s launch in August 2025, these National Guardsmen have come from units across the country, providing critical support alongside local law enforcement and federal partners. Current statistics of their efforts include:
- Rendering medical assistance to approximately 170 people;
- Reuniting 12 lost minors with their families or authorities;
- Intervening in or de-escalating 99 potential fights;
- Assisting D.C. Metropolitan Police with roughly 130 apprehensions; and
- Administering Narcan to reverse opioid overdoses in 50 critical cases.
The National Guard is composed of Citizen-Soldiers who typically serve one weekend a month and two weeks a year in training. However, they’re always ready to answer the call, whether overseas or at home, often putting their civilian lives on hold.
These Soldiers and Airmen hail from diverse backgrounds across the United States, many balancing part-time military service with full-time civilian careers, education or community contributions. Their unique skills and vigilance have a real-world impact on the streets of the capital.
As the mission continues into 2026, they remain committed to supporting the District.
“There’s a lot of people that I’ve spoken to on the streets, and they feel safer in the area,” Cantwell said. “We’re definitely doing good up here.”
By Tech. Sgt. Renee Crugnale
Joint Task Force DC