An early morning fire in a Loudoun County, Virginia, townhouse that killed one and hurt another was caused by unattended cooking, fire officials said Friday.
The Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office said in a news release that there were also no working smoke detectors in the Sterling home in the 200 block of Giles Place.
Firefighters received call about the blaze around 3 a.m. Sunday. They found smoke coming out of the two-story building when they arrived.
One person, who was found outside, was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening; one person refused medical treatment; and a man firefighters found inside was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Loudoun County Fire and Rescue estimated the damage to the town house at $144,000.
Fire officials are reminding people of the following steps to prevent fires and protect your family in case of fire:
- Stay in the kitchen while cooking. If you leave the kitchen, even briefly, turn off the stove. If baking, roasting or broiling, set timers to remind you that food is cooking.
- Have working smoke alarms. Loudoun County Fire and Rescue has a free smoke alarm program.
- Close before you doze. Closing your bedroom door before going to sleep can help slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire.
- Have a home escape plan. Discuss with your family an escape plan that includes two ways out of each room and an outside meeting place.
