CHANTILLY, Va. (AP) -- An unattended gas smoker is being blamed for a Sunday afternoon fire that destroyed a Fairfax County home and damaged two others. The fire was reported around 3:50 p.m. at a home in the 13,200 block of Shady Ridge Lane, in Chantilly, Va.
''There was heavy fire to the roof in the rear of the structure,'' said Lieut. Raul Castillo of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. About 60 firefighters turned out to battle the two-alarm blaze, and although the flames were extinguished within 25 minutes, damage to the house was extensive. Two adults who were in the home when the fire began escaped without injuries.
According to investigators, the fire was fueled by natural gas that escaped from the supply line connected to the grill equipment.
''The main structure suffered $600,000 damage,'' said Castillo. The two adjacent homes suffered a total of $16,000 damage from the intense heat of the fire.
''There was an unattended gas fed smoker on the rear deck of the house. That happens a lot this time of year,'' Castillo said.
