Kingstowne residents are reeling after a fire blazed through 10 townhomes yesterday (Monday).
No injuries were reported in the two-alarm fire, which drew firefighters to the 6900 block of Banchory Court in the Terrington neighborhood around 12:40 p.m., the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department says.
Upon arriving, units saw “smoke and fire showing from multiple townhouses,” the FCFRD said in a tweet at 3 p.m. yesterday. Firefighters from the Alexandria Fire Department provided an assist.
“The fire was under control rather quickly,” FCFRD spokesperson Ashley Hildebrandt said. “Then they have to perform overhaul and investigators have to go in and perform their investigation.”
A community member who shared photos with FFXnow said the last units left about six hours after the fire began, though FCFRD couldn’t confirm that.
#FairfaxsBravest are on scene of a two-alarm townhouse fire in the 6900 blk of Banchory Court in the Kingstowne area. Units arrived to smoke and fire showing from multiple townhouses. The fire is under control. No injuries. Thanks to @AlexandriaVAFD for the assist. pic.twitter.com/pC4QptB7Yb
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) June 24, 2024
The fire left three townhomes with interior damage and seven with exterior damages, according to Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk, who expressed gratitude to the firefighters for their service at the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting this morning (Wednesday).
Board Chairman Jeff McKay said he visited Kingstowne and saw the damage to the townhouses, noting that it’s a reminder of how quickly fires can occur, particularly in the hot, rain-parched weather that the county’s currently experiencing.
“Obviously [it was] a very tragic situation yesterday, but because the speed of our fire department, a lot of people’s properties and potentially a lot of people’s lives were saved,” McKay said. “We can all be diligent in spreading the message about preventing the 911 call, especially in these heat conditions.”
Hildebrandt confirmed that the fire started outside, but the exact cause and point of origin are still under investigation. The number of people who were displaced is also unclear.
