Ashburn House Fires Caused By Oil Rags

ASHBURN, VA — The Loudoun County fire marshal has determined that oily rags ignited a house fire that caused $1.5 million worth of damage to eight homes this work. The original fire started just before 3:30 a.m. July 31 at a single-family home on Millstead Drive in Ashburn. Before firefighters arrived, the fire had spread to a neighboring house and later consumed two additional homes.

The fire marshal’s office said the fire was accidental and caused by improperly disposed of oily rags that spontaneously caught fire. Officials later discovered that four others were found to have sustained minor damage. No one was home at any of the four houses that were immediately affected. A firefighter was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.