Fire displaces five residents of Oakview Gardens in Bailey’s Crossroads

A fire at the Oakview Gardens, an apartment complex in Bailey’s Crossroads, displaced five people and caused an estimated $20,000 in damages, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department states.

Upon arrival, just after 3:30 p.m. on July 29, firefighters saw smoke showing from the front terrace level of a three-story garden apartment in the 5811 Oakview Gardens Drive. A small fire was quickly located and extinguished. No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported.

Fire investigators determined the fire started by accident in a bedroom closet. It was caused by combustible materials too close to an unattended open flame device.

The apartment was unoccupied at the time of the fire. Other tenants of the building discovered the fire when they saw smoke coming from the apartment and called 911. There were three smoke alarms in the unit but none of them were working.

The fire displaced two adults who lived in the apartment where the fire started and two adults and one child from an adjacent apartment. The residents accepted assistance from the Red Cross.