Fire in Pinewood Lake area blamed on smoking materials

An early Saturday morning fire at a townhouse in the Pinewood Lake area was caused by the improper disposal of smoking materials, Fairfax Fire and Rescue said Tuesday.

Nobody was injured in the the blaze, which broke out before 4 a.m. in the 4300 block of Birchlake Court (see map). The fire was contained to the outside area of the two-story townhouse, and caused about $22,000 in damage, the fire department said.

Four people were in the townhouse at the time of the fire, and a neighbor alerted them to the blaze prior to the fire department’s arrival. The home had smoke detectors, but they didn’t go off due to the location of the fire, Fairfax Fire and Rescue said.

Investigators determined the fire to be accidental, and said it started on the deck of the townhouse.

Fairfax Fire and Rescue noted that so far this year one person has been killed and another burned in fires caused by the improper disposal of smoking materials. The total damage from those fire is estimated to be more than $2.1 million.