Fairfax County Fire Investigators Determine Cause Of Centreville Building Fire

CENTREVILLE, VA — A March 10 fire at a commercial building in Centreville was caused by a mechanical failure in the motor of an air compressor, Fairfax County Department of Fire and Rescue said Wednesday.

Investigators with the fire department concluded the fire was accidental in nature and started in the back of the second-floor unit in the building.

At about 2:30 p.m. two weeks ago, units from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue were dispatched to the building fire in the 14600 block of Lee Highway.

Units arrived on the scene of a two-story, commercial business building with smoke showing from the roof in front of the building. Crews arriving in the back of the structure reported fire evident from a second-floor window.

Units quickly extinguished the fire on the second floor. There were no reported injuries.

Four people were in the unit at the time of the fire. The unit was not equipped with smoke alarms or a fire sprinkler system, the fire department said. An employee called 911 after they saw smoke and flames.

Damage costs as a result of the fire were about $200,000, according to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.