WAHINGTON (7News) -- A car plowed into a one-story commercial building in northeast D.C. Thursday morning, igniting a fire and causing the front of the structure to partially collapse, according to D.C. Fire and EMS.

Just before 8 a.m., firefighters responded to the one-story building in the 2000 block of Bunker Hill Road NE and found the building engulfed in flames.

Crews rescued a woman trapped in the vehicle inside the burning structure. She was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

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D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly praised his team's efforts, calling their response "extremely heroic."

"Without the work of these men and women, this woman would not be alive today. So it's a bit of a Christmas miracle," Donnelly said.

7News spoke to a witness who was in his office nearby when he heard someone yell "Somebody call 911."

Kathon Vanhook said he ran out, saw flames and immediately called 911.

"We're out here just trying to pray, just worrying," Vanhook said. "It's just a scary situation, you know, just praying that nobody else was in there. You know, it's a day after Christmas."

The building serves as an adult daycare center and a childcare center, according to officials. Nearby businesses include a pediatric dentistry.

Fortunately, Donnelly said no one else was inside at the time of the crash, and surrounding businesses were unaffected. Firefighters extinguished the blaze by 10 a.m.

Officials are investigating the cause of the crash. Officials said they are working to assess the building's structural stability.