HAMILTON, VA – A firefighter was injured, two cats were killed and two residents escaped a late-night house fire in Hamilton on Friday, according to Loudoun County Fire and Rescue.
According to the fire service, calls began coming in around 11 p.m. on Friday reporting a basement fire in the 38000 block of Downs Court in Hamilton.
Crews responding from Hamilton, Purcellville, Round Hill, Leesburg and Frederick County, Maryland, found smoke and fire coming from the basement and garage of a two-story single-family home.
According to the department, working smoke alarms alerted the home's two occupants to the fire and allowed them to escape. One of the occupants was evaluated for smoke inhalation.
Two cats were killed in the fire, and one firefighter was taken for treatment for a non-life-threatening injury.
The homeowners were displaced and are being assisted by the American Red Cross.
According to the Loudoun County Fire Rescue Fire Marshal's Office, the fire was accidental and was caused when stain-soaked rags that weren't properly disposed of spontaneously combusted. The office estimates the resulting fire caused about $860,000 in damage.
The fire service is reminding residents to dispose of oil- and stain-soaked materials safely by putting used rags and brushes in a sealed, airtight metal container or allowing them to dry completely outdoors before getting rid of them. Rags, brushes and rollers should never be piled together.
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