Fire in Engleside area displaces two residents

February 6, 2020 Police and Fire
Ladder truck from Fort Belvoir and other fire trucks on the scene of the fire
Fairfax Fire & Rescue and Fort Belvoir Fire Department units respond to Tuesday morning’s fire. (Image courtesy of Clayton Mitchell)

A Wednesday morning fire at a condominium community in the Engleside area resulted in no injuries but did displace two residents.

The fire at the Terrace Towne Homes of Woodlawn in the 8700 block of Walutes Circle (see map) was called in around 11:45 a.m., according to Fairfax Fire and Rescue. Two residents were home the time of the fire and were alerted to the blaze by a smoke alarm, according to the fire department.

Smoke was visible to firefighters when they arrived, and they entered the home and found the fire in a second floor bedroom. The fire was extinguished within a few minutes. Investigators determined that a damaged electrical cord started the fire, according to the fire department.

The two residents of the home were displaced, and are receiving Red Cross assistance, according to the fire department. Damage from the blaze was estimated to be $18,750.

One Response

  1. OldSchool

    Directly behind the Woodlawn Fire Station … quick response if they were not out on another call.
    Damaged electrical cord? Have to wonder sometimes — why didn’t the breaker trip before the damaged cord became hot enough to ignite a fire? Perhaps the cord was simply overloaded ? The common wiring for residential outlets is solid 14 awg wire on a 15A breaker; common extension cords are 16 awg stranded – so the cord can get hot without tripping the breaker. Perhaps an overheated cord … melted insulation …?

    February 8, 2020