Cigarettes Cause Nearly $200K In Hybla Valley Fire Damages

FALLS CHURCH, VA—No one was home when cigarettes started a fire at a Hybla Valley townhouse Sunday, but those residents are now displaced.

Around 2:38 a.m., Fairfax County and Alexandria firefighter responded to the townhouse fire in the 2700 block of Carter Farm Court. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire coming from the rear, and no one was injured.

As the residents were not home, a neighbor called 911. The home's four residents were displaced but have declined Red Cross assistance.

Damages are estimated at $197,500. Fire investigators pinpointed the fire's origin to the back deck. They say improperly disposed smoking materials was the cause.

Fairfax County's fire department reminds residents to follow these tips to prevent a fire like this:

• Do not throw away cigarette butts in potted planting soil. Soil becoming too dry can be highly flammable.
• Completely douse butts and ashes with water before throwing them away, as they can smolder and cause a fire.
• Do not smoke in bed.
• Provide large, deep ashtrays with a center support for smokers.
• Check furniture for any dropped ashes before going to bed.
• Empty ashes into a fireproof container with water and sand.
• Keep smoking materials away from anything that can burn, such as mattresses, bedding, upholstered furniture and draperies.
• Never smoke in a home where oxygen is being used.
• Choose fire-safe cigarettes, which are less likely to cause fires.
• Be alert to prevent fires You won’t be if you are sleepy, have been drinking, or have taken medicine or other drugs.
• Keep matches and lighters up high, out of children’s sight and reach.

Follow Greater Alexandria Patch on Facebook.

Images via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue