Fire in West Falls Church caused by attic fan malfunction

A fire that broke out in the attic of a townhouse in the Berkley Place community of West Falls at about 3 a.m. on Sept. 11 caused an estimated $37,500 in damages, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reports.

The fire, in the 3100 block of Black Hickory Drive, near Arlington Boulevard and Jaguar in the West Falls Church area of Fairfax County, was “an electrical event involving an attic fan that ignited ordinary combustibles (blown-in insulation),” the Fire Department states.

An occupant smelled smoke and called 911. Smoke alarms were present but did not activate due to the location of the fire. One fire sprinkler head activated as the occupants were evacuating the home. There were no injuries, and no occupants were displaced.