Fire Leaves Annandale Family's Home Uninhabitable

A family of five has been displaced after a fire at their Annandale home Monday, March 19.

Around 9:53 p.m., units responded to the townhouse fire in the 6800 block of Lafayette Park Drive. Firefighters arrived to a fire in the basement area and quickly extinguished the fire.

All five residents safely escaped after the smoke alarms went off. With home damages estimated at $162,500, the family has accepted Red Cross assistance.

Fire investigators say the fire started on exterior wooden deck from improperly discarded smoking materials. In light of the fire, officials remind residents of the following safety tips when handling smoking materials:

• Do not throw away cigarette butts in potted planting soil, as it can become highly flammable when it is too dry.
• Completely douse butts and ashes with water before throwing them away, as they can smolder and cause a fire.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Provide large, deep ashtrays with a center support for smokers.
• Check furniture for any dropped ashes before going to bed.
• Empty ashes into a fireproof container with water and sand.
• Keep smoking materials away from anything that can burn, such as mattresses, bedding, upholstered furniture and draperies.
• Never smoke in a home where oxygen is being used.
• If you smoke, choose fire-safe cigarettes that are less likely to cause fires.
• To prevent a deadly cigarette fire, you must be alert. You won’t be if you are sleepy, have been drinking, or have taken medicine or other drugs.
• Keep matches and lighters out of children’s sight and reach.

Screenshot via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue video