Firefighter Injured In Blaze Sparked By Smoking Materials: Authorities

ASHBURN, VA — A home caught fire in Ashburn on Monday, displacing two people and injuring a firefighter, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue officials said.

The firefighter suffered minor injuries, according to the fire department.

Investigators determined that improperly discarded smoking materials sparked the fire on the deck of a house in the 20700 block of Globe Mills Court.

The fire marshal's office estimated that the fire caused $350,000 in damages.

Firefighters responded to the home around 4 a.m. on Monday morning. When they arrived on the scene, they saw fire showing from the back of the two-story house, authorities said.

The fire department reported that crews quickly extinguished the blaze, limiting the damage it caused.

Loudoun County Fire and Rescue officials offered the following tips to prevent fires caused by smoking materials.

"Fires caused by improperly discarded smoking materials often occur when cigarettes are disposed of in potted plants or plant beds outside the home," fire department officials said. "Although many people think that this is a safe practice, not all dirt is the same. Today’s potting soils contain very little actual soil but instead has large volumes of combustible and flammable materials such as peat moss, shredded wood, bark, Styrofoam, and vermiculite."

Authorities urged residents to smoke outside, use a deep and sturdy ashtray, soak cigarette butts in water, and test smoke alarms regularly.