Photo by Marjorie Branchaud.

Every fire is different, but a fire in a museum is exceptional. Not only do firefighters have to worry about extinguishing the flames and evacuating the building, but also preventing damage to the valuable art in the collection. Fire, smoke and water are all potentially damaging to artwork in an emergency. That's why firefighters stayed on the scene after this morning's fire was extinguished to help museum staff secure artwork in the Goh Annex.

"Our first objective is to get people out and extinguish the fire, but simultaneously we will protect property," said Pete Piringer, the director of public information for D.C. Fire and EMS. "They were able to relocate the art to a safe area. That was not a traditional fire department action, but we were able to work with the staff to minimize damage."

Piringer said that the customer service unit of the D.C Fire Department typically works to assist victims of fires, serving as a community liason and helping them to secure their property and find temporary housing.

"It was just an extension of what they do, but at a museum. They were able to assist the occupants with their property," said Piringer.

Piringer added that in New York, there are special units to deal with fires that might damage high-value items, but that responsibility lies with all firefighters in D.C.

See all previous coverage of the Phillips Collection fire here.