Smoking materials cause West Falls Church apartment fire, displacing ‘multiple’ people

Improperly discarded smoking materials caused a West Falls Church apartment fire on Sunday (May 29) that damaged 11 units, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department said.

Around 2:51 p.m., crews from the county and Arlington County Fire Department responded to the 2900 block of Dover Lane and saw fire visible from the third-floor balcony, according to a press release.

There were three people in the apartment at the time of the fire, which a neighbor saw on the balcony and alerted the building occupants to, the release said. Everyone evacuated before the fire department arrived.

Due to the hot temperatures that day, and the location of the fire, the City of Fairfax Fire Department also responded.

“Crews were able to bring the fire under control quickly,” the release said. “There were no civilian or firefighter injuries reported.”

The fire caused about $158,500 in damage and displaced “multiple people,” according to the FCFRD. Smoke alarms did not go off because of the location of the fire.

The local American Red Cross says it assisted 11 families in the wake of the fire.

“Trained disaster workers provided emotional support and financial resources for essentials like safe shelter, food and clothing,” said Ashley Henyan, a spokesperson with the National Capital and Greater Chesapeake Region Red Cross. “Volunteer teams also assisted with replacing medications or medical assistive devices — according to need. In the days and weeks ahead, Red Cross caseworkers will follow up with impacted families as they continue down the road to recovery.”

Henyan says families and individuals affected by this or any other disaster can call 1-800-RED-CROSS for assistance.

Photos courtesy of @xthefirephoto