Va. firefighters battle massive fire in under-construction condo building

Windy conditions and lack of firewalls and sprinkler systems hindered firefighters’ extinguishment efforts

By FireRescue1 Staff

Firefighters say they have contained a massive fire in a building that has been under construction in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County, Virginia.

The fire ignited Saturday morning in a five-story condominium complex that was still under construction, so it lacked firewalls and sprinkler systems, reports NBC Washington. Windy conditions fueled the fire, further compromising firefighters’ extinguishment efforts.

Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles around the area, even showing on weather radar, according to a tweet posted by the National Weather Service.

The structure fire south of Alexandria can actually be seen in several different satellite and radar products, which we use daily when forecasting the weather. Here is a quick 4-panel image showing a few examples. pic.twitter.com/Adjkq6mtdH
— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) February 8, 2020

According to FireRescue1 Executive Editor Marc Bashoor, this “vertical lumber yard fire is just the latest of many multi-story traps to burn into a pile of debris.”

It is unclear at this time how the fire started.