House fire caused by bird nest

An accidental fire at a house at 5215 Clifton Street in the Alexandria section of Mason District Sept. 25, was caused by a bird nest too close to an exterior light, according to investigators with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. No one was injured. Damage is estimated at $26,000.

When firefighters arrived at the house at approximately 4:30 a.m., they encountered smoke coming from the rear of the two-story home. They quickly extinguished the fire which was mostly on the deck but had spread into the basement. Two adults and two youths were in the house, but were alerted by smoke detectors.