A strewn cigarette butt appears to be the cause of a two-alarm house fire in Springfield over the weekend.
The “improper disposal of smoking materials” caused more than $90,000 in damages to a house in the 7000 block of Hill Stream Court on Sunday (March 30), the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department said.
Fire personnel responded to the house around 3:30 p.m. after the two-floor residence became engulfed in flames.
Around 3:30pm #FCFRD responded to a 2-alarm house fire in the 7900 blk of Hill Stream Ct in Springfield. Units arrived to heavy fire & smoke. Crews immediately went to work to extinguish the fire. Fire is out. No firefighter/civilian injuries. Fire investigators are on scene. pic.twitter.com/KZhlwa08cE
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) March 30, 2025
After initially believing that the fire originated in the basement of the residence, according to scanner traffic, responding firefighters quickly determined that the fire began on the exterior of the structure.
Both occupants of the 1,100-square-foot home were able to evacuate the building, according to the fire department. One person was taken to a hospital with injuries considered non-life-threatening, but no firefighter injuries were reported.
In light of the incident, fire personnel are warning residents to utilize appropriate fireproof disposal methods for smoking materials. Cigarette butts and ashes should be thoroughly doused in water before being discarded, fire officials said.
The total amount of property damage was estimated to be $90,611, according to the fire department.
