A Loudoun resident can credit the working smoke alarms in their Ashburn home for alerting them to a basement fire that displaced the family of four.
Just before 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 26, 2023, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue (LCFR) units from Ashburn, Moorfield, Lansdowne, and Arcola were dispatched to a reported house fire on Middle Ridge Place in Ashburn. A homeowner was alerted by smoke alarms and discovered smoke coming from the basement of the single-family home. The resident immediately evacuated the home and called 911.
Fire and rescue crews arrived on scene to find smoke coming from the front door and confirmed there was active fire in the basement. Firefighters quickly located and extinguished the fire. Although the fire was contained to the basement level, extensive smoke and fire damage displaced the homes four residents who are staying with family. There were no injuries to firefighters or civilians. The LCFR Fire Marshal’s Office investigation determined that the fire was incendiary and estimated damages to the home at $264,960.
Loudoun fire officials want you to know that working smoke alarms save lives! “Smoke alarms are the first line of defense in alerting a person to the presence of smoke and fire in the home. A properly installed and maintained smoke alarm can alert you and your family to a fire 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Keith Johnson, Chief of the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System. “This fire would have had a much different outcome if the resident had not been alerted by the smoke alarms and had crucial time to evacuate.”
Not sure about your smoke alarms? Loudoun County Fire and Rescue offers free home safety and smoke alarm assessments to all Loudoun County residents. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the hotline at 703-737-8093 or visit www.loudoun.gov/smokealarms.