Electrical fire in Seven Corners displaces 39 apartment residents

Firefighters respond to apartment fire on Patrick Henry Drive. [FCFRD]

An apartment fire at 3041 Patrick Henry Drive in Seven Corners Feb. 18 displaced 39 people from 18 separate units, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reports. No one was injured.

According to fire investigators, the fire was accidental and was caused by an undetermined electrical malfunction that knocked out the power supply for three buildings.

When firefighters arrived at about 9:45 a.m., they encountered smoke and fire coming from a three-story garden apartment building in the Willston area. Fire crews were hampered by energized wires in the structure. They contained the fire until the power company was able to secure power to the building.

The occupants were home and had called 911 before the smoke alarms sounded. The 39 displaced residents, including those affected by the loss of power, were assisted by the Red Cross. Damage is estimated at $100,000, including the value of the property and content of six units.