Annandale Apartment Fire Starts In Gas Furnace

Four people were displaced after a fire started in an Annandale apartment building's gas furnace Monday, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue reported.

Around 4:41 p.m., units responded to the apartment fire in the 4900 block of Americana Drive. Firefighters found fire coming from the second floor of the three-story apartment building. After finding the fire had spread from the outdoor utility room into the attic space, units quickly put out the blaze. No one was injured.

Three residents were home when the fire started. One resident on the balcony discovered the fire at the outside utility room. The residents safely escaped before help arrived. Smoke alarms did activate but there were no sprinklers in the building.

Investigators determined the fire's cause was a malfunction with the gas furnace igniting combustible items nearby. Initial damage estimates are $90,000.

The displaced residents declined Red Cross assistance.

Image via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue