Electrical Failure Sparked Woodbridge Fire That Displaced 3 Residents

WOODBRIDGE, VA — A fire broke out at a home in Woodbridge on Monday morning, the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue reported.

No injuries were reported in the blaze, which caused minimal damage. The fire displaced three residents who lived in the single-family house.

The fire started around 9:40 a.m. on Monday in the 14000 block of Fisher Court in Woodbridge, according to authorities. 911 callers reported that they saw smoke and smelled something burning behind a dryer in the basement.

First responders arrived on the scene and quickly extinguished the fire that had begun inside a basement wall. Investigators determined that an electrical failure sparked the fire.

"The Prince William County Fire and Rescue System urges all homes to have smoke detectors," authorities said in a news releases. "This home was equipped with smoke detectors that properly functioned during the incident. Smoke detectors offer the best means to alert you and your family to a fire and allow you adequate time to safely evacuate."

The fire department noted that functioning smoke detectors can reduce the chance of dying in a fire by 50 percent. Authorities also said residents should try to check smoke detectors once a month and replace the batteries twice each year.