The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department on Feb. 26 at 8:45 p.m. dispatched units to a reported house fire in the 1500 block of Snughill Court in the Wolf Trap area north of Vienna.
Arriving units saw fire coming from the rear of the two-story, split-level, single-family home. Crews worked quickly to bring the fire under control. There were no civilian or firefighter injuries reported.
Five occupants were home at the time of the fire. One occupant discovered the fire when he looked out a window and saw the back of the house on fire.
He alerted the other occupants, and all evacuated the house before fire crews arrived. Working smoke alarms were present in the home and sounded after the fire was discovered.
Fire investigators determined that the fire was accidental in nature and started on the house’s rear deck. The fire was caused by improperly discarded ashes from an outdoor fire pit.
Five occupants were displaced because of the fire, but they declined assistance offered by the Red Cross. The blaze caused about $187,500 worth of damage, officials said.
Fire and Rescue Department officials remind residents to be cautious and keep safety in mind when handling ashes from fireplaces, wood stoves and fire pits.