Smoking Material In Flower Pot Starts Fire At Tysons High Rise

TYSONS, VA—Smoking materials discarded in a flower pot started a fire at a Tysons high rise early Monday morning, the fire department says.

Around 3:54 a.m., Fairfax County firefighters responded to the 7900 block of Westpark Drive for a balcony fire on the 17th floor of the 27-floor building. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire before it spread inside. Smoke alarms and sprinklers were present inside the building but did not activate due to the fire's location on the balcony.

Two occupants and their two pets were home at the time. One of the residents discovered the fire when she heard glass breaking. No one was injured.

The residents were not displaced, but initial damage estimates are about $16,000.

When a Centreville fire displaced over 100 in May, acting Fire and Rescue Chief John Caussin said improperly discarded smoking materials caused 40 percent of structural fires in the county so far in 2018. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reminds residents to follow these safety tips regarding smoking materials:

• 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.

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