Warren County family displaced by fire, had no working smoke detectors

Improperly disposed ashes caused a fire early Tuesday morning in Warren County, according to Fire Marshal Gerry Maiatico.

FRONT ROYAL — A family of four—including a toddler and an infant—were able to escape an early morning fire Tuesday in Warren County, according to Richard Mabie, chief of Warren County Fire and Rescue.

Firefighters responded to 883 Morgan’s Ford Road at 2:39 a.m. to find a single-story farmhouse with “significant fire conditions in and around the rear porch of the home,” according to a written news release from the department.

The family – two adults, a five-year-old and an infant – were in the house when the fire broke out, but were able to escape unharmed after smelling smoke, Mabie said.

The fire was investigated by the Fire Marshal’s office and was determined to be caused by discarded wood stove ashes being placed too close to the back porch stairs, which caught fire.

The damage to the house was estimated at $100,000, according to the release and the structure and contents were a total loss.

It was determined that there were no functioning smoke detectors present in the house, according to the news release.

The family was offered Red Cross support but was able to secure other means of housing.

Several Fire and Rescue units responded from Warren County. A Mount Weather unit filled Warren County Station Six, with Engine 51 from Strasburg and 25 from Shenandoah County filling Warren County Station One, while WCFR personnel were on scene, battling the fire.

“This should serve as a reminder of the importance of working smoke alarms in the home.  It would have taken only seconds for this incident to turn into a loss-of-life incident,” stated Chief Mabie.

Two Rockingham County brothers, ages 14 and 12, died in a house fire early Monday morning, in Weyers Cave.  Eight people were in the home at the time of the 5 a.m. fire, according to Joe Mullins, of the Rockingham County Fire Marshal’s office.  He said six people made it out of the house, but the two juveniles were trapped in an upstairs bedroom, and crews were not able to rescue them.

Warren County Fire Marshal Gerry Maiatico discusses fire safety tips for cold weather, which could prevent  a house fire.

Mullins says the fire is under investigation by the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Department and the Fire Marshal’s office; it has not yet been determined if there were any working smoke detectors in the rental house.

The Warren County Fire and Rescue Department offers FREE smoke alarms to residents of the community through its fire safety program. For more information, contact the department at 540-636-3830.

To learn about fire safety and how to safely dispose of your wood stove ashes, listen to an interview with Warren County Fire Gerry Maiatico.