Family, Four Dogs Displaced as Leesburg Fire Collapses Home

Five residents and their four dogs have been displaced from their home Thursday after a fire ripped through their three-story home on Castleguard Court in Leesburg.

Loudoun County Fire and Rescue spokesman Laura Rinehart said officials arrived on scene and saw significant fire and smoke coming from the home and began defensive operations.

Two children, an adult and four dogs escaped from the home and were waiting outside when officials arrived, Rinehart said. Another child and parent were not home at the time of the blaze.

Part of the home collapsed during the fire which was making efforts difficult, Rinehart said: While the fire is contained, officials can't access parts of the home. They are continuing to work on extinguishing the blaze.

The fire also caused damage to adjacent homes, Rinehart said, mostly to vinyl siding. It's unclear if the damage is great enough to displace the residents of those homes as well.

UPDATE: "It's gutwrenching for that family and for all the workers over here who have done a tremendous job protecting us and keeping the fire from spreading," said one woman, who identified herself as a neighbor.

She said the displaced family has lived in the house since it was built.

The cause of the fire and extent of damage is unknown at this time, Rinehart said. The Fire Marshal is continuing the investigation.

Two firefighters sustained minor injuries on scene, but they were not caused by actively fighting the fire. Another resident twisted his ankle walking around the scene, Rinehart said.

Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.