Annandale house fire displaces five

Smoke consumes the rear of a house on Poplar Street. [FCFD]

A two-alarm fire at a house in the 7200 block of Popular Street in Annandale Dec. 16 displaced five people and caused more than $161,200 in damages, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reports.

A reader captured the Fire Department response in the early hours of Dec. 16. [Dave Walls]

When firefighters from Fire Station 8 in Annandale arrived at approximately 1:45 a.m., they saw fire visible from the rear of the two-story, single-family home. Additional units responded, with as many as 60 firefighters on the scene.

There were no civilian injuries. One firefighter sustained a minor injury and was transported to the hospital for treatment.

A resident of the home had discovered the fire after she smelled smoke and then called 911. There was one smoke alarm in the home but it did not activate due to dead batteries. All the occupants had gotten out safely by the time the fire units arrived.

Fire investigators determined the fire was accidental and originated in the floor between the main floor and the basement. The cause was determined to be an “electrical event” involving the wires between the floor joists.