Neighbors Help Ashburn Family Recover From Fire That Destroyed Home

ASHBURN, VA — Neighbors are holding a fundraiser to support an Ashburn family whose house on Stoke Chapel Terrace was badly damaged in a fire last Saturday.

The Lawrence family had lived in the house for 13 years when a fire erupted on the bottom level and spread to all three floors. The garage exploded, which blew out the garage door and set one of their vehicles on fire.

The Lawrence family made it out of the home safely but lost everything in the massive blaze.

Neighbor and long-time friend, Scott Fracasso, created a GoFundMe page to help the Lawrence family start over.

The fire started at around 3 p.m. last Saturday, Oct. 30. The entire contents of the garage were destroyed, including storage containers filled with family photos and other memorabilia passed on through generations. All of the family's bicycles, recreational equipment, and Holiday ornaments and decorations also were destroyed.

After hearing several loud “pops” and the fire alarms go off and feeling the home shake, family members discovered black smoke filling the home coming from the bottom floor, according to the GoFundMe page.

Loudoun County Fire and Rescue units from Moorefield, Arcola, Dulles South, Ashburn, Kincora, and numerous command staff were dispatched to the fire.

The entire family at home at the time of the fire, including the family cat, were able to escape shaken but unharmed.

The Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office estimated damages at $420,000 with $250,000 for the structure, $150,000 for the contents, $10,000 for two vehicles and $10,000 for damages to a neighboring structure.

The Fire Marshal’s Office determined the fire was caused by an improperly grounded extension cord powering two battery chargers in the garage.

The cord appeared to be undersized, resulting in overheating and failure, according to the office.

Visit the GoFundMe site set up by Fracasso to donate money to the Lawrence family to help them recover from the fire.

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