Fire Marshal investigating after vehicles burned near Huntington

The Fairfax County Fire Marshal’s office is investigating two vehicle fires that happened early Monday morning in Jefferson Manor, a residential neighborhood near Huntington.

A minivan and a pickup truck were destroyed in a blaze that was reported around 3:45 a.m. Monday in the 5900 block of Edgehill Drive (see map). The minivan burned completely and then spread to the truck behind it, according to witness accounts.

No injuries were reported.

Both vehicles belonged to the same family, according to a GoFundMe page set up to assist them in their insurance deductible and transportation needs. The page has raised more than $5,000 in two days.

A Fairfax Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said Wednesday that it is too early in the investigation to rule on the cause of the fire that destroyed the minivan and truck. The spokeswoman also said that police also located another vehicle nearby the same night that appeared to have minor fire damage. The Fire Marshal’s office is investigating to see if the two incidents are related.

Hydrants checked

There were concerns after the vehicle fires that an inoperable fire hydrant had prevented firefighters from attacking the minivan blaze faster. However the fire department told the president of the Jefferson Manor Citizens Association that a pump issue with the first engine that arrived on the scene caused the delay, not the hydrant.

Once they realized the pump wasn’t working properly, firefighters then connected hoses to a nearby hydrant to extinguish the blaze, the fire department said. Another engine was also called to the scene, according to the email sent to the civic association president.

The fire department still inspected hydrants throughout the neighborhood on Tuesday.

“Even though they said the issue was not with the hydrant, I appreciate that they verified they were operating anyway,” Jefferson Manor resident Alexis Glenn said.