Sterling warehouse fire ruled accidental by Loudoun Co. fire officials

The warehouse fire in Sterling, Virginia, that sent black smoke billowing into the sky and triggered a significant emergency response Monday afternoon has been deemed an accident, according to Loudoun County Fire and Rescue.

Fire officials said the cause of the fire, which caused estimated damages of $2.25 million, was “improper discarding of smoking materials.”

Just after 3 p.m. on Monday, firefighters were called to a facility in the 100 block of Acacia Lane, according to the department. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire after two-and-a-half hours. One responding firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion at the scene of the fire, but no one else was injured, according to the fire department and Virginia State Police.

“Upon arrival, fire and rescue personnel found a large warehouse facility with fire through the roof. Initial crews identified the primary building was a total loss and began working to contain the fire to the building of origin,” the department said in a news release. “The fire was extremely difficult to extinguish due to the burning of the stored materials and the size of the warehouse.”

Loudoun County fire officials have offered the following tips to help prevent these kinds of fires:

Smoke outside.
Ensure cigarettes are fully extinguished, every time.
Ensure smoking materials are discarded in appropriate containers and clean them often. Never use plastic, potted plants, mulch, grass, leaves, or anything that can burn to extinguish smoking materials.
Soak cigarette butts and ashes in water before throwing them away.
Use a deep, sturdy ashtray and be sure it is placed on a surface where it will not tip over.
Place containers away from any structure, never on front porches, decks, or just outside the door.
Ensure you have working smoke alarms on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas.

Below is a map of where the fire occurred:

WTOP’s Thomas Robertson and Ana Golden contributed to this report.

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