Prince William Co. house fire displaces family of 20

A house fire in Prince William County, Virginia, on Friday led to a family of 20 being displaced.

Officials told WTOP that the fire started in one of the bedrooms and it spread throughout the house, leading to extensive smoke and water damage.

Town of Quantico Councilman Sammoto Yomosa Dabney told WTOP the family — consisting of Mykal Coles, his two wives Alicia and Jasmine, and 17 of their children — lost all of their belongings as a result of the fire.

According to officials, the children were at school and Jasmine was home alone when the fire happened. She was able to escape uninjured.

With help from the American Red Cross, the family is temporarily staying at a hotel while they figure out their next steps, officials said.

A GoFundMe campaign was launched to raise money for the family.

“We are grateful that everyone is safe, but the loss of our home and belongings is devastating,” Mykal Coles said. “We are overwhelmed by the support and generosity of those who have already donated to help us during this challenging time.”

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Tadiwos Abedje

Tadi Abedje is a freelance digital writer/editor for WTOP. He was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Northern Virginia. Journalism has been his No. 1 passion since he was a kid and he is blessed to be around people, telling their stories and sharing them with the world.

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