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An accidental electrical fire tore through a third-floor apartment in Annandale on Sunday night, displacing nine adults and four children and killing a dog.
Fairfax County firefighters responded to the 7900 block of Charles Thomson Lane at about 9 p.m. on August 3. Crews arrived at the garden-style apartment building to find smoke and flames visible, then located the fire inside a third-floor unit.
A neighbor heard smoke alarms in the adjacent apartment and investigated, discovering smoke and a partially charred door. The neighbor pulled the building’s fire alarm, evacuated and called 911. Both the smoke alarms and fire alarm system activated.
No residents or firefighters were injured. The Red Cross offered assistance to the 13 displaced residents, who accepted it.
A preliminary investigation determined that the fire was accidental and resulted from an electrical event involving a surge protector.