1 Dead, 11 Injured In House Fire Caused By Discarded Smoking Materials: Fire Department

Updated at 11:45 p.m. on Tuesday.

ASHBURN, VA — A house fire in Ashburn on Tuesday morning spread to nearby buildings, according to the Loudoun County Department of Fire and Rescue. Officials said one person died in the blaze. Two other people suffered minor injuries.

The fire broke out just before 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning. At that time, Loudoun County's emergency communication center received multiple 911 calls reporting fire on Nashua Street in Ashburn. Callers said one home was already on fire and the blaze was spreading to other buildings.

Units from Ashburn, Lansdowne, Moorefield, Leesburg, and command staff responded to the initial call. Based on the severity of the fire, units requested a second fire to bring more resources to the scene.

When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found heavy fire on multiple floors of the home. They battled windy conditions and attacked the bulk of the blaze from outside the home, fire officials said. Meanwhile, other units worked to contain the fire and evacuate residents from neighboring homes.

A pair of people who lived inside the heavily engulfed home self evacuated from the building, the fire department said. First responders took them to the Medstar Washington Burn Center to receive treatment for minor injuries.

On Tuesday, investigators said they found a dead person in the home where the fire started. Officials have not publicly identified the victim or what caused their death.

The fire marshal's office said that the fire was caused by improperly discarded smoking materials. Authorities estimated that the fire caused $4 million in damages.

The blaze displaced nine adults and two children, according to a report from the fire department.

In a news release, fire department officials urged Loudoun County residents to be cautious when smoking. They said people should smoke outside and discard cigarette butts in sturdy ashtrays or containers that are not close to their house.

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