Washington - Fire officials say it took 100 firefighters more than an hour to extinguish a two-alarm blaze in a Northwest rowhouse that apparently claimed the life of an adult.

Investigators say the home had no working smoke detectors and that "cluttered, pack-rat conditions" made it difficult to search for the victim.

Firefighters were called to the massive two-alarm blaze in the 1300 block of Quebec Place about 8 a.m.

Neighbor Josie Faison said she smelled smoke and called 911.

"I came to the front door and opened it, all these flames were shooting out the lady's front window... and I ran out, and I came across the street, and of course all the engines were here fighting the fire next door," she said.

After putting out the fire, firefighters discovered a body on the second-floor back porch, covered by a considerable amount of debris from the disintegrating structure.

Neighbors say that a woman in her 50s or 60s lived in that townhouse by herself, but the police and fire departments cannot yet confirm whether she was the victim. The body was badly burned and identification will require an autopsy, authorities said.

Faison said her neighbor was something of a pack-rat: "Stacks of papers, stacks of magazInes, stacks of clothing, all sort of debris -- that makes for a very dangerous situation."

"I have reported that house for years," Faison added. "It should've been condemned a long time ago."

D.C. Fire and EMS spokesman Alan Etter took this photo of first responders tending to a dog freed from the fire. Click the photo to launch a slideshow of more images captured by D.C. Fire and EMS.

The firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to other rowhouses on the block. Some suffered smoke and water damage.

They also were able to rescue a dog which was trapped in a cage that was covered with burning debris.

One firefighter was taken to the hospital with high blood pressure. 

It could take two weeks to determine the cause of the fire.