Virginia
Discarded cigarette butts spark $1.3M house fire in Virginia
LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. (7News) — A house fire that caused more than $1.3 million in damage in a Virginia neighborhood was accidental and started after junked smoking material ignited, according to fire officials.
The two-alarm fire happened around 12:23 p.m. July 2 in the 17100 block of Creekside Green Place in Round Hill.
The Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Marshal’s Office said when crews arrived, they found heavy fire conditions at a two-story single-family home. A second alarm was requested, bringing more units from Ashburn and Clarke County.
Everyone inside the home safely evacuated before firefighters showed up, officials said.
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Firefighters reportedly began working on the blaze, including the use of an elevated master stream from the first-arriving ladder truck.
During the response, crews rescued the family cat from the basement, according to the fire department.
Crews gave oxygen and temporary care before turning the cat over to Loudoun County Animal Services for evaluation.
A cat was rescued from the basement of a Round Hill, Virginia, home that was on fire after discarded smoking materials reignited. (Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office)
The fire was declared under control after about an hour.
Because of the extreme heat wave in the region, firefighters rotated through rehabilitation stations during the incident.
Officials said crews were given time to hydrate, rest in cooled areas, and receive medical monitoring.
No one was hurt in the incident, and the fire left a family of four and a cat displaced.
Officials estimated damages at $1,346,790.
A house fire that caused more than $1.3 million in damage in a Virginia neighborhood was accidental and started after junked smoking material ignited, according to fire officials. (Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office)
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Investigators said the entire ordeal started after smoking materials were thrown away into a container, where they smoldered and later caught fire while unattended.
Loudoun County Fire and Rescue is reminding residents to fully extinguish smoking materials before throwing them away.
Officials said cigarette butts and ashes should be doused in water or sand and disposed of only in a designated metal containers.