UPDATED: Townhouse Fire on Backlick Road Displaces Family

Update Tuesday 5 p.m.: According to a news release from the Fire and Rescue Public Information Office, the fire was accidental and caused by a child experimenting with a lighter. There was moderate smoke and water damage to the second and third floors. Firefighters conducted extensive overhaul and salvage operations due to possible fire extension in connecting townhomes. The damages are estimated at $155,000 and seven occupants, four adults and three children, have been displaced.

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A townhouse on the 4800 block of Backlick Road has displaced a family of six.

Battalion Chief Brian Rooney said units were dispatched at 6:40 p.m. for a townhouse fire and saw flames around the home. The fire is thought to have originated in the basement.

Rooney said it took firefighters 10 minutes to get the fire under controlled. Due to the method of construction of the townhomes, the fire did not spread to the surrounding apartments. Neighbors were also evacuate their homes by the time fire and rescue arrived on scene. Units from Annandale, station 8, West Annandale station 23, Bailey's Crossroads station 10, and Edsall Road station 26 from Springfield responded to the fire.

There were no civilian or fire and rescue personnel injuries. The family of six— three adults and three children—have accepted Red Cross assistance.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Rooney said he estimates the damages to be $100,000 or more.

Fairfax County police blocked off northbound lanes with flares and directed traffic. As of 8 p.m., police and fire units were still on scene.