Massive South Alex Fire Spurs $48M In Damages, Cause Identified

GROVETON, VA — The Feb. 8 four-alarm fire at the South Alex development site in Groveton caused over $48 million in damages, according to an update from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue. Fire investigators also determined the cause of the fire to be improperly discarded smoking materials.

The fire destroyed the five main buildings under construction, 14 townhouses, and one trailer. In addition, five apartment buildings, 14 additional townhouses, four single family homes, 29 vehicles, and multiple pieces of construction equipment were damaged. Two firefighters and one resident suffered minor injuries.

Investigators traced the origin back to a second-floor trash chute in the residential portion of a multi-use complex. The fire department said a construction site worker first found the fire in a trash chute. The worker evacuated after unsuccessfully trying to put out the fire.

Units had responded to the building fire in the 2800 block of Poag Street around 9:40 a.m. Saturday. Firefighters encountered an advanced fire showing on the top floor of a five-story building under construction. Because the project was under construction, there was no sprinkler system. The fire department says the lack of a sprinkler system combined with windy weather conditions increased the difficulty of tackling the fire.

Firefighters from Alexandria, Arlington County, Prince George's County and Fort Belvoir assisted Fairfax County Fire and Rescue with tackling the fire.

The South Alex project started in 2018 and would have been completed in 2021, according to Washington Business Journal. Developer Combined Properties said in a statement to the Business Journal it intends to rebuild the development.

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• Four-Alarm Fire Destroys Parts Of South Alex Development: Update
• Video: Drivers Witness South Alex Development Fire From Route 1