Fire Breaks Out at Huntington Community Center

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- A fire did nearly $100,000 damage Wednesday to the Huntington Community Center, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue. On Wednesday, at approximately 5:30 p.m., units from Fire Station 11, Penn Daw, were dispatched for a report of a fire alarm sounding in a building in the 5700 block of Liberty Drive in the Huntington section of Fairfax County.

Shortly after the initial dispatch, an employee of the community center called 911 and indicated that she saw black smoke and flames coming from the kitchen area. Additional fire units from Fairfax County and Alexandria City were added to the incident.

When firefighters arrived, they found a small fire in the kitchen that was quickly extinguished. Employees and occupants were already safely outside having been alerted to the fire by a smoke alarm. The property is a Fairfax County-owned facility. There were no firefighter or civilian injuries reported. Red Cross assistance was not needed.

The cause of the fire is accidental in nature as a result of employees turning on the gas stove after having placed a plastic tray on the stove top. The flame from the gas stove ignited the tray. Damages as a result of the fire were approximately $93,750, according to the fire department.

PHOTO of Fairfax County Fire and Rescue truck/Patch file photo