Fire Causes More Than $500K In Damage To Springfield Home

SPRINGFIELD, VA — A house fire in the Springfield area on Thursday caused more than $500,000 in damage and displaced two people, according to the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department.

One resident suffered minor injuries but declined treatment. There were no firefighter injuries, the fire department said.

At about 6:25 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, fire units were dispatched to a reported house fire in the 8900 block of Arley Drive in the Springfield area.

When they arrived, firefighters saw fire showing through the roof of the two-story, single-family home. “Due to the large volume of fire, crews initiated a defensive (outside) operation to extinguish the fire,” the fire department said.

The two residents were at home at the time of the fire. One of the residents discovered a small fire on the exterior of the walkout basement level under a wood saw. He tried but failed to put out the fire.

Both residents then got out of the house and called 911. Smoke detectors started to go off after they left the house, the fire department said.

Investigators determined the fire was accidental in nature. The cause of the fire was smoldering embers that dropped into the sawdust pile. Damage as a result of the fire was about $516,075, according to the fire department.

The two residents declined assistance from the Red Cross.