LEESBURG, Va. --
Officials said smoking materials are to blame for the house fire in which six firefighters were injured Sunday.
Six firefighters were hurt and two remain in the hospital after that raging fire in Leesburg. Investigators said the smoking materials discarded off the back deck ignited other items and eventually spread to the house.
Crews were called to the single-family home in the 43000 block of Meadowood Court at about 1 p.m. Sunday for a report of smoke in the house.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire and smoke. They quickly called a second alarm, bringing more manpower to the scene.
At some point, four firefighters in the house were seriously injured when conditions deteriorated and the roof toppled on them. An emergency "Mayday" was called, and the firefighters bailed out, with at least one jumping from the second story.
"We did have a declared Mayday, which is a response when they're in harm's way," said Loudoun County Chief Fire Marshal Keith Bower. "That was initiated when the conditions deteriorated inside, but they did self-evacuate."
Neighbors reported seeing firefighters jumping from the flames as the home's roof collapsed. The owner of the house was not home. She was apparently out buying flowers for the yard and returned to find the street blocked with fire trucks.
Bower said two of the firefighters are still being treated at the MedStar burn unit at the Washington Hospital Center on Monday, News4's Julie Carey reported. One is said to be in serious but stable condition, while the other is listed in stable condition.
"One of them was in for more significant burns, and that individual is going to be remaining in the hospital for a significant amount of time," Bower said. "The other, we understand, will be released in a few days."
The injured firefighters include men and women. Some are career firefighters, others worked with volunteer units. The firefighters were from different stations, News4 reported.
The Loudoun County Fire Department said people who want to make donations on the injured firefighters' behalf can do so by sending them to D.C. Firefighter Burn Foundation, P.O. Box 71056, Washington, D.C. 20024.
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