Oil-Soaked Brushes Sparked $600K Lovettsville Fire: Authorities

LOVETTSVILLE, VA — A single-family home caught fire in Lovettsville on Saturday morning, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue officials said. It took first responders more than an hour to extinguish the blaze.

No injuries were reported in the fire. Nobody was living at the home, so no residents were displaced.

The fire caused $680,000 in damages, according to the fire marshal's office.

Investigators believe the fire began when oil-soaked brushes and rollers spontaneously combusted.

The fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday morning in the 13000 block of Orrison Road. When firefighters arrived, crews saw "a large volume of fire pushing through the second story and roof," authorities said.

"Firefighters began extinguishing the fire with an exterior defensive attack, during which the structure began to collapse in on itself due to the intensity of the fire" fire department officials said in a news release. "The fire was brought under control after approximately an hour of extinguishment."

Investigators from the fire marshal's office declared the fire was accidental, caused by the spontaneous combustion of construction materials. In a Facebook post, authorities asked residents to dispose of materials properly.

"After using stain applicators, they should be placed in a safe location outside, away from the structure to dry before discarding," officials said. "Never pile rags, brushes, or rollers together, rather lay them flat on an exterior surface and allow them to completely dry."