A late-night house fire in Hamilton, Virginia killed two cats and sent a firefighter to the hospital after stain-soaked rags spontaneously combusted in a home's basement and garage, fire officials say. Two residents managed to escape safely after working smoke alarms alerted them to the danger just after 11 p.m. Friday, but the blaze still tore through the two-story house, leaving behind an estimated $860,000 in damage.
Fire and rescue crews were dispatched to the 38,000 block of Downs Court after multiple 911 callers reported a basement fire, according to WJLA. When crews arrived, they found heavy smoke and flames pouring from the basement and garage of the home, according to DC News Now. Fire crews from Hamilton, Purcellville, Round Hill, Leesburg, and Frederick County, Maryland, all responded to help battle the flames, per the same outlet.
Smoke Alarms Credited With Saving Two Lives
Both residents made it out of the burning home safely after smoke alarms on the first and second floors worked as intended, per WJLA's report. One homeowner was evaluated for smoke inhalation at the scene but did not need to be taken to a hospital, the station notes. A firefighter, however, was hospitalized with what officials described as a minor injury while working the blaze, according to the same account.
The fire proved deadly for the family's pets. Two cats died in the blaze, and the home's occupants have since been displaced, with the American Red Cross stepping in to provide assistance, the station reports.
Fire Marshal Blames Stain-Soaked Rags
The Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office has ruled the fire accidental, determining it started when improperly discarded rags soaked with stain spontaneously combusted, per WJLA's reporting. The resulting damage to the two-story home is estimated at $860,000, the station notes.
It's not the first time Loudoun County investigators have traced a house fire back to flammable-soaked rags left where they shouldn't be. A garage fire in Aldie was similarly sparked by improperly disposed oil-soaked rags, according to a report from Patch, which detailed how that blaze caused roughly $150,000 in damage and displaced two adults and a child, though no injuries were reported. In that case, a closed interior door and non-combustible siding kept the flames from spreading further into the house, Patch reported.
Fire-safety guidance from the National Fire Protection Association warns that rags wet with flammable or combustible liquids can ignite entirely on their own if not handled carefully. For Hamilton residents, Friday's fire stands as a costly reminder of how a household chore like staining furniture or decks can turn into a six-figure disaster when cleanup supplies aren't stored properly.
