Sprinklers Limit Fire Damages At Ashburn Residential Complex

ASHBURN, VA — Sprinklers helped contain a fire at a multifamily residential building in Ashburn Saturday, according to Loudoun County Fire and Rescue.

Units responded to a fire alarm around 7:20 a.m. Saturday to the 20000 block of Lazy River Terrace. Multiple 911 calls alerted emergency personnel to smoke coming from the first floor and alarms throughout the building. The incident was upgraded to a structure fire response, bringing in units from Lansdowne, Ashburn, Leesburg, Kincora, and Sterling. Crews found a small fire that had been extinguished by the sprinkler system in the garage space on the first floor. There was no extension of the fire beyond the garage space.

No residents or firefighters were injured.

The fire marshal's office said the cause of the fire was combustible materials stored against a golf cart’s battery charger. The battery unit did not have adequate airflow to cool, leading to combustible materials catching fire. Damages were estimated to be $7,000.

Loudoun County Fire and Rescue said the fire caused potential for significant property damage and loss of life without the sprinkler system. The building had working fire alarms and automatic sprinkler systems. The fire department has been advocating for requiring automatic fire sprinklers in more residential homes. A National Fire Protection Association report notes that home fire fatalities 2017 to 2021 were 89 percent lower with fire sprinklers, and firefighter injuries were 48 percent lower with home sprinklers.