Wednesday night house fire displaces two families – officials offer safety tips

Photo courtesy of Warren County Department of Fire and Rescue Services

On Wednesday, July 15, 2020, at approximately 9:20 pm, the Warren County Department of Fire and Rescue Services were dispatched to the 700 block of W 11th Street in Front Royal for a reported residential structure fire.

Fire and Emergency Medical crews quickly arrived on the scene to find a two story duplex with significant fire conditions on the rear of the structure with fire spreading to the adjoining unit. Firefighters were able to quickly determine that all occupants of both residential units had self-evacuated and were unharmed. Firefighters worked to contain the blaze and prevent the fire from spreading to any additional structures. It took firefighters approximately 20 minutes to bring the fire under control.

The incident was investigated by the Warren County Fire Marshal’s Office which determined the fire was caused by improperly discarded smoking materials near the rear deck of the structure. The fire caused an estimated $150,000 in property damages and contents loss and displaced a total of eight people from the two residential units involved in the fire incident. Each family received assistance from the American Red Cross Disaster Response Program.

“Improperly discarded smoking materials remains one of the top causes of fires in our community” stated Fire Chief Richard E. Mabie.

“Every year, fires caused by cigarettes not properly extinguished causes significant damages and has the potential to lead to injuries, and in some cases, even death” stated the Chief. “Don’t toss those butts out your window, off your balcony, or into the nearest planter; put them out the right way!”

Fire Marshal Gerry R. Maiatico stated “This unfortunate incident should serve as a reminder that cigarettes and smoking materials can be dangerous if not handled properly.” “Smokers should employ the “sink it or soak it” method when discarding smoking materials.”

The Department of Fire and Rescue Services offers the following fire safety tips for discarding smoking materials:

• “Sink it or soak it” – Sink the butt into sand or soak it with water.
• Never dispose of cigarette butts in potted planting soil. The soil, when it gets too dry, can become highly flammable.
• Never flick cigarettes into mulch or shrubbery or onto the ground.
• Dispose of smoking materials in a suitable ashtray or bucket with sand. Ensure designated outside smoking areas have an appropriate fireproof container, ashtray or bucket.
• Completely douse butts and ashes with water before throwing them away, as they can smolder and cause a fire.
• Empty butt containers on a regular basis.

For more information on how to protect your family and home against the dangers of fire, visit www.warrencountyfire.com or call 540-636-3830.

Units from Front Royal, Linden, Shenandoah Shores, Shenandoah Farms, North Warren and the Fire Marshal’s Office responded on the call. Units operated for approximately 2 hours on the incident scene.