Fairfax County Fire & Rescue
The Feb. 8, 2020 fire in the Groveton neighborhood caused $48 million in damage and was caused by improperly discarded smoking materials.
Fairfax County Fire & Rescue determined that improperly disposed smoking materials started the Feb. 8 fire that caused $48 million in damage to the under-construction South Alex development, adjacent properties and vehicles in the Groveton neighborhood.
The fire was so extensive that Fairfax County firefighters were joined in containing and suppressing the fire by personnel from several nearby jurisdictions, including the City of Alexandria.
When fire officials announced they figured out the cause of the fire just a few days later, many Alexandria area residents wondered on social media and in local forums how investigators solved that mystery so quickly.
According to a press release from Fairfax County, officials stated, "Fire investigators determined that a worker at the construction site noticed a fire in a trash chute. The worker called 911 and attempted to extinguish the fire. The attempts were unsuccessful and the worker evacuated the property."
Although the City of Alexandria did not assist with the investigation of that particular fire, City of Alexandria Chief Deputy Fire Marshal Russell Furr spoke with Alexandria Living about how fires like this one are solved.
Furr said that all fire investigations use the scientific method and typically follow the guidelines laid out in the “National Fire Protection Association 921: Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations.”
Fire investigators look at the big picture of the scene, working from the area of the least damage to the area where it seems that there has been the most damage.
Often, the fire's damage pattern will point to where the fire started, which is called the “area of origin” (the room or section of a building) and eventually the "point of origin."
This process includes taking into account a number of factors that can affect the path and behavior of the fire like weather conditions, ventilation and construction type. Then, fire investigators can start to determine why the fire started based on debris and other evidence.
Investigators frequently interview people who were at the scene of the fire including firefighters, homeowners, eyewitnesses and 911 callers to obtain their observations and experiences. All of this information is then looked at together during the course of the investigation.
In the case of the Groveton fire, it appears that interviews with witnesses were a critical part of determining how the fire started.
Fire investigators have to undergo extensive training before receiving their certification and are responsible for continuing education to stay up-to-date on fire science, trends and legal changes.
Furr said that Northern Virginia is a resource-rich area for firefighters, which means that most of the training can be done locally, but sometimes more specialized training involves travel to other parts of the country.
While Fairfax County investigated the South Alex fire themselves, Furr said that there is a cross-jurisdictional ATF task force that can be deployed in cases where extra support is needed.
Some investigations can go on for months or years — particularly when there is a criminal aspect to the case.
The City of Alexandria boasts a very high fire investigation closure rate of 80 percent, but there are cases where the cause of a fire cannot be determined due to the sheer amount of damage and other circumstances.
“Our main goal, in any fire investigation or activity we do, is always fire prevention,” explained Furr. The objective is to look out for the safety of city residents and firefighters and the best way to do this is to prevent fires before they start.
Most fires are in residential settings, with the main culprits being improperly discarded smoking materials, heating sources and cooking accidents.
Furr stressed that all residents should use caution when handling flammable appliances or materials.
When the buzz around a large fire like the South Alex fire has faded, it is easy to get lax when it comes to fire safety. Furr said that smoke detectors should be checked and batteries replaced at least twice a year because they are the single most effective means of saving lives during a residential fire.
The fire department is always happy to answer questions from the public and they offer presentations and information for those who are interested. Every October, the City of Alexandria hosts an open house during National Fire Prevention week at all city fire stations.
Calls to Fairfax County fire officials about the South Alex fire investigation were not returned.
For more information on fire safety in the City of Alexandria visit www.alexandriava.gov/Fire. Fairfax County residents should visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fire-ems.
