Crime & Safety

Fire in Apartment Buildings Forces All Residents to Evacuate

Smoke poured from buildings as firefighters called for reinforcements.

Update: The total damages from the fire are currently estimated at $1.5 million, according to Battalion Fire Chief Joe Robertson.

Update 5:00 p.m.: The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The Fire Marshal's office is investigating, according to a prepared statement from Prince William County Fire and Rescue.

After the buildings are inspected, 13 residents may have to leave their homes temporarily, in addition to the 22 residents that have already had to temporarily move out of one of the apartment complexes.

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The American Red Cross is helping displaced residents find a place to stay.

Update 3:56 p.m.: Curtis Brodie, Captain, from the Prince William Fire Marshal's Office said that the fire started on the back balcony on the fourth floor of the 3695 apartment building in Dominion Middle Ridge.

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While the cause is still under investigation, Brodie said that approximately 75 firefighters were needed to fight the blaze and that 12 apartment units may have to be displaced due to the fire. 

One firefighter was injured and was treated, no civilians were injured in the fire. 

Brodie said that an occupant was home at the time when the fire started. Assessments are being done on the 3699 building to see if residents can go back inside; a building inspector will be on scene to make the determination if residents in the 3695 building can return later today. 

"Any time you have a fire in 60, 70 degree weather, firefighters are wearing a tremendous amount of equipment, we exhaust personnel quickly," said Brodie. "They did a great job." 

A Prince William animal control officer was on the scene to take unclaimed pets that were rescued from the fire to the shelter in Manassas. 

UPDATE 3:26 p.m.:  The fire is under control.

Original story:

Shortly after 2 p.m., career fire and rescue responded to a two-alarm fire at the Dominion Middle Ridge apartment buildings on Golf Side Circle in Lake Ridge.

Smoke was seen coming from buildings 3695 and 3699 after their roofs caught on fire. The smoke could be smelled from two miles away.

"Firefighters observed smoke showing on the front side of a third floor apartment," said Kim Hylander with Prince William County Fire and Rescue. "As crews moved to the rear they observed flames shooting from the fourth floor, at which time a second alarm was sounded at approximately 2:10 p.m. As firefighters attacked the fire, flames engulfed the attic."

All residents had to evacuate, including the residents in the surrounding buildings.

"Several buildings were evacuated," Police Officer Jonathan Perok said. Perok was on scene. "I don't know the extent of the damage."

A cat and a puppy had to be rescued from the fire.

Reinforcements were called in at about 2:20 p.m. The last residents left the building at about 2:30 p.m. By 2:30, the Dale City, OWL, City of Manassas and PWC fire and rescue units were all on scene. County police also assisted, providing traffic control.

The fire was under control by 3:30 p.m.

Griffith Avenue is closed between Cotton Mill Drive and Smoketown Road.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The Fire Marshal's office is investigating.


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