Belle Haven house fire displaces four

House with damage

Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish a blaze that started on the exterior of this house and spread to the inside.

A two-alarm fire that displaced four residents in the Belle Haven neighborhood Thursday was caused by improperly disposed fireplace ashes, the Fairfax Fire and Rescue Department said Friday.

No residents or firefighters were injured in the fire in the 6100 block of Vernon Terrace. Investigators estimate it caused $211,250 in damage.

Firefighters from the Penn Daw station responded to the call shortly after 12:15 p.m., and the first crews on the scene reported flames visible on the exterior of the building and smoke coming from the second- and third-floor windows. A second alarm was called in and more than 60 firefighters — including crews from the City of Alexandria — responded to the blaze, according to Fairfax Fire and Rescue. 

One of the homeowners told firefighters that his daughter was still in the house, and crews were able to evacuate an adult female from the third floor unharmed, according to the fire department.

The fire, which began on the outside of the house and spread to the interior, was quickly extinguished, the fire department said. Heavy damage to right side of the house was visible on Friday, but it appeared that much of the rest of the exterior was spared. The home was built in 2009, according to property records online.

One of the occupants discovered the blaze before alarms went off, according to the fire department. 

Red Cross assistance was offered to the four people displaced from the home, but was declined, the fire department said.