On Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 4:09 p.m., units were dispatched for a reported apartment fire in the 12000 block of Greywing Square in the Reston section of Fairfax County.
Units arrived on the scene of a four-story, garden apartment and reported smoke evident from the top floor. Crews found the fire in an apartment and quickly extinguished. No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported.
There were approximately 25 people in the building when the fire was discovered. Occupant of apartment experiencing fire was not home. The fire was discovered by a resident that observed smoke coming from a window. Resident pulled building fire alarm. A smoke alarm was present in the apartment, but it could not be determined if it sounded.
Fire Investigators determined that the fire was accidental in nature and started in the living room. The fire was caused from an unattended candle.
A total of three occupants were displaced because of the fire. One occupant from the unit that caught fire and two occupants from the unit directly below. Red Cross assistance was offered and accepted by all three. Damages as a result of the fire were approximately $25,000.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department would like to remind residents to avoid the dangers of fire while burning candles to please follow the safety tips listed below:
Never leave burning candles unattended
Keep all combustible materials away from open flames
Do not burn candles near windows or doorways
Place candles in glass or ceramic containers
Place candles on a flat, sturdy non-combustible surface
Never leave candles burning when children or pets are present