1937 hours, Engine 30, Truck 17, and Ambulance 30 were dispatched for the "building fire" at 417 37th Place, SE. Truck 17 arrived reporting smoke showing from a 3 story apartment building. Several bystanders outside reported that a man was trapped in the apartment. The Officer and Bar Man from Truck 17 made entry and encountered heavy fire conditions in the hallway and rear bedroom. A quick search of the adjacent rooms proved negative. Engine 30 stretched their 400' pre-connect and met up with Truck 17 quickly knocking down the fire. As this was being accomplished Truck 17's Bar man and Engine 30's back-up man located an adult male in his bed severely burned. Truck 17's Driver, Tillerman, and Hook Man threw a multitude of ladders, vented horizontally, and several other duties. Unfortunately, the victim was pronounced dead on the scene. The "line-man" from Engine 30 was transported to MedStar by Medic 30 with burns to his forehead and ear. Units from the "Heights" remained on the scene until 0030 hours assisting local and federal agencies. On a side note, as Truck 17 was pulling into the block, it fell short of the scene several hundred feet when it "shut down" for no apparent reason. This of course, however, never slowed down or ceased operations of the Truck Company. Later into the incident, Truck 17 was back in service.