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Man arrested for allegedly setting fire to Annandale house

Fairfax County firefighters tackle a house fire in the 4900 block of Bristow Drive in Annandale on April 27, 2023 (courtesy FCFRD)

Arson was behind an April 27 house fire in Annandale that cost two people and a dog their home, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department says.

Clinton James Hall, 27, was arrested yesterday (Wednesday) and charged with one count of burning or destroying a building after investigators determined that the fire in the 4900 block of Bristow Drive was “incendiary in nature.”

According to the FCFRD report, Hall started the fire on the porch of a three-story, single-family home in the Annandale Terrace neighborhood late that evening. Both residents and the dog were inside at the time.

“The dog alerted the occupants and all self-evacuated from the residence prior to fire department arrival,” the department said. “There were working smoke alarms that activated after the fire was discovered.”

Firefighter units were dispatched to the scene at 11:57 p.m. and arrived to find a blaze that was visible from three sides of the building. Crews “worked quickly” to extinguish the fire, and no injuries were reported.

However, the occupants and their pet were displaced, and the fire caused an estimated $461,480 in property damages.

Virginia classifies arson as a Class 3 felony if someone is inside the building when it’s burned. If convicted, Hall would face beween five and 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.

The news of Hall’s arrest came the same day that a house fire farther north in Annandale took the lives of two dogs and a cat.

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JUST IN: Dogs and cat killed in Annandale house fire

Three pets were killed in a house fire in Annandale (via FCFRD/Twitter)

Multiple pets were killed in a house fire in the Broyhill Crest neighborhood of Annandale this morning.

Fairfax County firefighters were dispatched to the single-family house in the 3500 block of Marvin Street at 11:19 a.m., according to scanner traffic.

Upon arriving, firefighters found smoke issuing from a fire apparently concentrated in the house’s basement, which was difficult to access due to “hoarding conditions.”

All human occupants were able to evacuate and are safe, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department spokesperson Ashley Hildebrandt says. The exact number of people who were in the house hasn’t been confirmed yet.

However, two dogs and a cat were trapped by the fire. Annandale Today first reported that one of the dogs, a Doberman, had died, and the FCFRD later confirmed that all three pets were killed.

Hat tip to Xavier “X” on Twitter

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Person caught in Clifton house fire is critically injured

Fairfax County and other firefighters respond to Clifton house fire (via FCFRD/Twitter)

A person was taken to the hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries this morning (Wednesday) after a house fire at the edge of Clifton.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units reported fire showing when they arrived at the house in the 6800 block of Compton Heights around 9:45 a.m.

Crews had to rescue one occupant, who was transported to the hospital with serious injuries, according to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. No firefighter injuries were reported.

Prince William County Fire and Rescue provided assistance in extinguishing the fire. Most units were able to return to service by 11 a.m.

Investigators are now working to determine the cause of the fire, the FCFRD said.

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JUST IN: Firefighter sustains ‘minor’ injury in Vienna house fire

Fairfax County firefighters respond to a fire in the 1000 block of Westwood Drive (photo by M. Clark via FCFRD/Twitter)

A firefighter was injured while responding to a house fire in Vienna just before midnight.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units were dispatched to the 1000 block of Westwood Drive NE at 11:58 p.m. yesterday (Tuesday), according to a tweet.

“Crews arrived [with] fire visible from 2nd floor of a house under construction,” the department said.

The firefighter’s injury was described as “minor.” An investigation into the fire is now underway, and the department says more information will be shared as it becomes available.

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Dunn Loring resident displaced by house fire

A house on First Avenue in Dunn Loring after a fire (via FCFRD/Twitter)

One person lost their home this morning (Wednesday) in a fire in Dunn Loring.

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department says it had units dispatched to the house fire in the 8200 block of First Avenue at 5:02 a.m. When they arrived at the small, wooden house, “heavy fire” was visible.

The fire was “quickly extinguished,” and there were no reported injuries, according to the department. However, one occupant was displaced.

A photo of the building shows that its windows are gone, and the front portion of the steepled roof has been destroyed.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is now underway.

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Man wanted in possible arson of Reston home

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Updated at 5:10 p.m. — Patrick Aylas, the suspect in Thursday’s alleged arson incident, has been taken into custody, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department says.

Earlier: Local police are looking for a Reston man wanted in connection with a Thursday morning fire on Shadbush Court.

Patrick Aylas, 54, is wanted in connection with the ongoing arson investigation.

Fire crews arrived on the 11500 block of Shadbush Court at around 4:15 a.m. yesterday to find a single-family home fully engulfed in flames, according to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.

Fire investigators quickly determined the cause of the fire was arson. No injuries were reported.

According to authorities, the police department is “actively searching” for the man.

“Call 911 with info and do not approach,” the department tweeted.

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UPDATED: One person found dead after Mantua area house fire

House fire in the 3500 block of Goodwin Court in Mantua (via FCFRD/Twitter)

(Updated at 1:35 p.m.) One person was found dead after a house fire in the Mantua area last night, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department says.

The department said this morning that one occupant of the house in the 3500 block of Goodview Court was not accounted for.

Heavy fire was seen when units first arrived around 7:20 p.m. yesterday (Monday). One person was transported to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.

A structural assessment was conducted before fire investigators began to search the house and try to determine a cause.

“The body was recovered and being transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office,” the FCFRD said of the person who was found deceased.

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Major fire takes out riverside house in Lorton, but no injuries reported

A house fire in the 11300 block of River Road in Lorton (via FCFRD/Twitter)

Updated at 9:45 a.m. on 12/23/2022 — Five people were displaced by Tuesday’s Lorton house fire, which caused $244,162 in damages, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department said Wednesday (Dec. 21). The cause remains under investigation.

Earlier: A one-story house right by the Potomac River in Lorton was consumed by a massive fire early this morning.

Units from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department responded to the scene in the 11300 block of River Road in the Mason Neck area around 2:30 a.m., with Prince William County firefighters assisting.

“Arriving units reported significant fire coming from all sides of the home,” the department said in a tweet at 4:13 a.m., noting that by that time, the fire was under control.

Despite the size of the fire, all occupants were found, and no injuries to either occupants or firefighters were reported.

“Investigators have not determined an estimate for the damage as of yet,” an FCFRD spokesperson said.

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Man injured in Springfield house fire, evacuated by helicopter

Firefighters respond to a house fire in the 6300 block of Abilene Street in Springfield (via FCFRD/Twitter)

A man has been taken to a hospital by helicopter after suffering burn injuries from a house fire in Springfield.

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reported at 10:14 a.m. that residents were initially trapped by the fire in the 6300 block of Abilene Street — a residential neighborhood near John R. Lewis High School.

Around 10:50 a.m., firefighters had gotten the blaze under control, but one occupant was evacuated by a Fairfax County police helicopter to a burn center. His injuries are considered non-life-threatening.

The man reportedly suffered burns to his arms, legs and face. No firefighter injuries were reported.

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Herndon house fire displaces eight people, cat rescued

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(Updated at 1:40 p.m. on 11/18/2022) Eight people in the Town of Herndon were forced out of their home last week by a fire that caused nearly $300,000 in damages.

According to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, the fire started early in the afternoon last Wednesday (Nov. 9) in the garage of a two-story house in the 800 block of Winterhaven Place.

There were four people at the home at the time of the fire, according to the fire department. FCFRD said the fire was discovered when one person went to the garage to reset a computer router that was not working.

“[That occupant] closed the door between garage and home, and alerted all occupants,” FCFRD said. “All safely evacuated the house. Smoke alarms were present but did not activate due to the location of the fire.”

One of the homeowners told FFXnow that the characterization of the fire in the news release is inaccurate, stating that she and her son-in-law were the only people home at the time and no one went to the garage to check a router.

“I actually was getting ready to leave for a doctor’s appointment, and it was my son-in-law that smelled smoke,” she said. “We were nowhere near the garage. We didn’t know there was a fire. We had no idea until a neighbor was banging on our door.”

An FCFRD spokesperson says the information released this morning came directly from its fire investigator’s official report, noting that the department uses “occupants” to refer to anyone present at the time of a fire, not just residents.

She said the investigator confirmed that there were four occupants at the house: two residents and two workers.

The homeowner confirmed that a cat was rescued by units from the Fairfax County, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and Loudoun County fire and rescue departments, which collectively responded around 1:33 p.m.

An investigation found that the fire was accidental and “electrical in nature.” By the time firefighters arrived, the blaze had extended to the house’s attic.

Red Cross assistance was accepted and no injuries were reported. The fire department estimates that property damages totaled approximately $298,000.

“The house was a complete loss,” the homeowner said, disputing the reported estimate. She said her insurance company is currently conducting a separate investigation.

The FCFRD spokesperson said the estimate was developed by an algorithm that the county uses and can’t be changed.

“Our sympathies are with the family as they wade through the devastating experience of losing their home,” FCFRD Director of Public Information Ashley Hildebrandt said. “Estimates for property loss values following a fire are determined based on an algorithm recognized by Fairfax County government. The amount estimated is not indicative of the estimates determined by an insurance company.”

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