City of Fairfax firefighters responded to a Dec. 2 fire at an office building at 9900 Main St.
A person arrived for work at the building noticed the fire and called 911. The alarm in the building was also activated. When the first firefighters arrived at 6:08 a.m., they reported heavy fire and requested a second alarm.
A crew of firefighters entered the building and stretched a hose up to fight the fire from inside. Another group arrived shortly after and used a ladder truck to fight the fire from outside the building.
The fire was brought under control in approximately 25 minutes, but firefighters remained for approximately four hours longer to put out smoldering fires, remove debris and investigate the cause of the fire.
The fire in the five-story building started in a space occupied by VLS Systems, an information technology firm on the third floor. Although the fire was confined to three offices on the third floor, offices on lower floors received some water damage.
The Fire Department estimated that there was $75,000 in structural damage and another $25,000 in furnishings and equipment. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, said Ed Clark, life safety officer for the City of Fairfax Fire and Rescue Services.