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Shortly before 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, crews from multiple jurisdictions responded to a home in the 23400 block of Virginia Rose Place in the Little River District, where they were met by a fast-moving fire with flames showing from the back of the residence.
A second alarm was quickly called, bringing additional manpower to the scene of the house fire, and it took crews approximately 20 minutes - attacking from all sides - to get the bulk of the flames knocked down.
Crews then worked for more than an hour to contain and extinguish all fire on the outside and inside of the home.
Officials noted that due to the size of the fire, structures on either side suffered minor artificial damage to the siding, but both remained habitable.
Investigators from the Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office determined that the fire was accidental, due to the spontaneous combustion of potting soil stored underneath the deck.
It is estimated that the fire caused approximately $1,696,864. Five occupants of the home were displaced.
According to the fire marshal, fires that start in landscaping mulch or other organic planting materials can spread quickly into shrubbery, up exterior walls and into the home or building
“Spontaneous combustion can happen when a decomposing, organic material, such as mulch or potting soil, generates enough heat to ignite without an outside source,” Assistant Chief of Operations James Williams said.
“As a result, a large or compacted area of these materials can create sufficient heat to spontaneously combust.
"It’s important to remember that in all cases, these fires are more likely to occur when the weather is hot, and it’s been dry for an extended period."
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