The fire that occurred in Ashburn Farm Monday, June 25, was ruled incendiary by the Loudoun Fire Marshal’s Office. The fire marshal determined that juveniles playing with matches and aerosol products caused the fire. There has been no indication what type of aerosol product was used or how many minors were involved.
According to the Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management, the fire at 20712 Edgebrook Court began the evening of Sunday, June 24, when a match flame accelerated by the aerosol product ignited mulch along the side of the home. The fire smoldered overnight, breaking out and catching the structure around 8:15 a.m., June 25.
"Things can smolder for quite a long time before it catches," Mary Maguire, spokesperson for the fire department, said. "A lot of the time, like with ash, the heat is in there and if the right amount of oxygen is added in can ignite into a fire."
Firefighters extinguished the fire on the exterior of the attached garage as it began to spread into the attic area. Damage is estimated at approximately $10,000.
"There was really minimal damage done to the main house," Maguire said.
Maguire said a family does live in the home, but that none of the family members had been injured in the fire. Although the home could still be occupied, the family had chosen to stay with relatives.
As of press time, no charges had been brought against the juveniles.