Balcony Fire at Pickett Street Building Displaces 14 Families

The American Red Cross is now assisting residents displaced from a residential building at 251 S. Pickett Street in Alexandria following a fire on Sunday.

The Alexandria Fire Department arrived at the scene around 9:03 a.m. on October 25 to visible fire and smoke. No residents were injured during the event, but one firefighter sustained an injury while working to control the flames.

The fire marshal determined that the blaze began in a planter on a balcony. The flames spread from that planter into the attic of an adjacent apartment. From the attic, the fire reached the roof, which required extensive salvage and overhaul operations by the crew.

Following an assessment and interviews with residents, officials concluded that improperly discarded smoking materials caused the fire. Fourteen apartments were declared uninhabitable due to the damage.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue assisted with the response alongside the Alexandria Fire Department. The department issued a reminder to residents to extinguish cigarettes and other smoking materials in a sturdy, noncombustible container filled with sand or water.

Officials advised that smoking materials should never be discarded in planters, mulch, or other combustible materials and should never be left unattended.