Five people displaced after a two-alarm fire started from potting soil in Brambleton, Virginia

House FirePhoto byChris KaridisonUnsplash

Patch Virginia reported that five people were displaced following a two-alarm fire that started from potting soil in Brambleton, Virginia, according to Loudoun County Fire and Rescue.

There were no injuries from the fire to firefighters or residents. Firefighters determined the cause of the fire was from potting soil that was stored under the deck. Damages from the fire have been estimated to be at $1,696,864. Sidings to houses on both sides were damaged, but the houses remained habitable.

About the fire

Firefighters responded to multiple 911 calls around 9:55 p.m. on Saturday, September 21 in the 23400 block of Virginia Rose Place. Significant fire was coming from the back and the roof of the single-family house.

A second alarm was requested for additional firefighters. Much of the fire was extinguished in 20 minutes. It took firefighters an hour to put out the entire fire.

Loudoun County Fire and Rescue units from Arcola, Moorefield, Dulles South, Kirkpatrick Farms, Ashburn, and Leesburg responded to the fire, as well as the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Fairfax County, and numerous command officers.

The potting soil

Potting SoilPhoto byPotting Soil/Wikipedia Creative Commons Screenshot

The fire marshal's office determined the fire's cause was the combustion of the potting soil stored under the deck. The fire department warns that fires originating in landscaping mulch and other organic planting materials can quickly spread to shrubs, exterior walls, and into houses.

Assistant Chief of Operations James Williams said in a news release:

"Spontaneous combustion can happen when a decomposing, organic material, such as mulch or potting soil, generates enough heat to ignite without an outside source. 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."