UPDATE (9/9, 6:00 pm):
Editor’s Note: The owners of the property made this statement in the comments section of our website:
“From the Owners of 1036 Leigh Mill Road: While we respect the 1st Amendment and the virtue of social media, this article has apparently generated a significant amount of interest and curiosity from community members. Last evening there were at least a dozen vehicles attempting to enter and view our destroyed property. This is obviously a fire scene under investigation and the structure is still in a somewhat dangerous state. There are hot spots and the potential for flare ups at the site. We are grateful that no one was injured and would like to keep it that way. Before anyone considers attempting to enter this property, read the signs posted by the fire marshall as they will be enforced to the highest extent of the law. If you are trespassing you will likely be detained by our security and turned over to law enforcement officials. This being said, if anyone has any legitimate concerns or business requests regarding the property, please do not hesitate to reach out to [email protected]. Thank you”
Editors Note: Our reporter remained outside the property line and spoke with the Fairfax County Fire Marshal who was still on the scene.
ORIGINAL POST (9/8, 1:39 pm):
At approximately 2:20 a.m. last night, a large home in the 1036th block of Leigh Mill Road in Great Falls burst into flames and was razed to the ground by a fire that reached over two stories into the air.
Firefighters raced to the scene but the house was a complete loss.
Langley junior Leah Carmichael and her family reside three houses away from the house and witnessed the devastation the fire caused.
“All I can remember from last night was waking in the middle of the night and hearing tons of fire trucks sirens,” said Carmichael.
“My neighbors said they heard the explosion, looked out the window and saw flames reaching two stories high coming out the house.”
According to Deputy Chief Mike Reilly of the Fairfax County Fire Marshal, the cause of the fire is under investigation and he has not ruled out the possibility that it was some sort of gas explosion.
Deputy Chief Reilly said that the house was a $5 million loss and heavy machinery was brought in to tear down the remnants of the once 11,946 square foot home. He added that the Fairfax County Fire Marshal is investigating the cause and will release a press release.
A man was sleeping in a nearby guesthouse at the time of the fire but was uninjured. According to Carmichael, the house was vacant and undergoing renovations after being recently sold. The house was on the market for several years before it was sold last year.
“Before it was bought, teenagers would vandalize the house by breaking the windows, walls and stairs. That’s why it was being renovated,” said Carmichael.
Carmichael’s mother, Daretia Carmichael said that the house has “been an eyesore for the neighborhood for over a decade. It’s such as shame that it was finally being fixed up for a family to buy, only for it to blow up and burn down in the middle of the night.”
“We are glad it appears no one was injured and no other houses caught fire,” she added.
Editor’s Note: This story will be updated when the Fairfax County Fire Marshal releases their report on the cause of the blaze.
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Photos of house before fire courtesy of Google Maps
Photos of house during fire courtesy of Rob Woods/Leah Carmichael
Photos of house after fire by Harris LaTeef