A fire broke out in a Herndon house early Thanksgiving morning, leaving four residents temporarily without a home for the holiday.

The fire broke out in an attic above the garage, shortly after 3:30 a.m. this past Thursday, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue. Investigators determined that it was sparked by a malfunctioning box fan.

Firefighters worked to “aggressively” extinguish the flames, but because of the damage the four residents — along with two guests — were not able to stay in the house.

More from a fire department press release:

On Thursday, November 22, at approximately 3:38 a.m., units responded to a reported house fire in the 600 block of Stuart Court in the Town of Herndon.

Units arrived on scene of a two-story, single-family home with no visible sign of smoke or fire. Crews quickly located a fire in the attic space above the garage. Firefighters worked aggressively to extinguish the fire. No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported.

A total of four occupants and two visitors were present at the time of the fire. One of the occupants awoke to flickering lights and an odor of smoke. The occupant alerted the others and called 9-1-1. The six occupants self-evacuated prior to fire department arrival. Working smoke alarms were installed but did not activate due to location of the fire.

Fire Investigators determined that the fire was accidental in nature and started in the attic space over the garage. The cause of the fire was a malfunctioning box fan located in the attic.

Four residents of the home were displaced because of the fire. Red Cross assistance was offered and accepted. Damages as a result of the fire were approximately $75,000.

Map via Google Maps

Crafthouse, a Northern Virginia-focused eatery, is helping families affected by the wildfires in California.

The three Crafthouse locations in Fairfax, Reston and Arlington will donate 10 percent of all bottled beer purchases to the American Red Cross, which has a fund set up for California wildfire aid.

Two wildfires burning across California this month have claimed at least 84 lives, and one of the fires is now the deadliest and most destructive one in the state’s history, according to news reports.

The restaurant posted on Facebook that the donations started last Thursday (Nov. 15) and will continue through Dec. 15.

Owner Evan Matz told Reston Now he got the idea after watching the news. “I felt so bad, and I wanted to be able to do something,” he said.

Matz said he has family near Calabasas, Calif. — they’re safe– and knows firsthand the displacement and destruction caused by natural disasters. He said his family had to move temporarily when Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 hurricane that struck the Bahamas, Florida and Louisiana, hit in 1992.

Patrons have started expressing support for the donations, Matz said. “Instead of the draft beer, they buy the bottles instead,” he said.

Crafthouse’s Reston spot is at 1888 Explorer Street.

Photos via Crafthouse/Facebook

A two-alarm fire that injured four people and displaced three residents Saturday evening was caused by a spark from a toaster, according to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.

The fire happened in apartments on the 1600 block of Becontree Lane. Four people were taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Two residents were at home at the time of the fire. One resident evacuated from the house when she saw flames coming from the toaster in the kitchen. Local emergency crews arrived on the scene at around 5:30 p.m.

Crews contained the fire and rescued two occupants from the stairwell from the building. Neighbors had already evacuated another occupant form the building before the fire department arrived.

Fire investigators said the fire was caused by an accident. Three residents displaced by the fire were offered temporary shelter near Forest Edge Elementary School. Red Cross assistance was declined.

Damages are estimated at $150,000. Previous statements from local fire and rescue personnel indicated the fire displaced 30 Reston residents.

Photo via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

A house fire on the 13200 block of Weather Vane Way in Herndon was extinguished around 1:45 p.m., according to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.

No injuries were reported. A fire investigator was on the scene to investigate the cause of the incident.

No other information was immediately available.

This story was updated.

A stinky situation on the Dulles Toll Road has resulted in a lane closure and a significant cleanup effort.

A garbage truck’s load of trash caught fire this afternoon, shortly after 4 p.m., prompting the truck driver to dump the burning refuse on the side of the westbound Dulles Toll Road near Wiehle Avenue.

The fire was extinguished and the effort to remove the charred garbage is now underway. According to WTOP, the ramp from Wiehle Avenue to the westbound lanes of the toll road are currently blocked.

I deleted the tweet, sorry pic.twitter.com/wPLu4ziVHW

— Chris Mc (@Vaphilly624) September 19, 2018

Quite a garbage situation. pic.twitter.com/cfnnGHHQFB

— Katherine (@scarletalphabet) September 19, 2018

Today may have been a cooler, crisper day, with highs in the low 60s, but according to the Capital Weather Gang, that will likely all be gone by tomorrow.

The Gang predicts Reston could reach the 80s by Tuesday, and possibly hit 90 degrees by Thursday.

With the warmer, dryer temperatures comes an increased risk for fires. The National Weather Service warns that the local area is under a fire warning “due to low dewpoints and a gusty northwest wind.”

By the weekend, temperatures should be back in the 70s, which means a sunny weekend perfect for outdoor activities.

A fire that engulfed a home on the 11900 block Grey Squirrel Lane Saturday night was caused by an unattended charcoal grill, according to the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department.

Firefighters battled the blaze at around 9 p.m. on Saturday (April 14).  A major fire was visible when units arrived on the scene.

Three occupants were in the two-story single family home during the incident, but no one was injured. They evacuated the home prior to the department’s arrival.

Damages are estimated as $202,500. Red Cross assistance was offered and declined by the residents.

The grill was located under the deck of the back of the home.

Photos via Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department

A home on Grey Squirrel Lane in Reston was heavily damaged by a fire Saturday night.

The fire broke out around 9:00 p.m. in the rear of the home, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue. The residents were home at the time but were able to safely get out.

Firefighters engaged in an “aggressive” fire extinguishment effort, but much of the home was left badly charred.

The fire marshal’s office is now investigating the cause of the blaze.

Photos from scene of house fire 11900 block of Grey Squirrel Lane in Reston. Still hitting hot spots. Video update shortly #fcfrd #news pic.twitter.com/8yU3JZMkG6

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) April 15, 2018

Units on scene 11900 block of Grey Squirrel Lane in Reston. Heavy fire showing on arrival. Bulk of fire knocked down. Hitting hot spots. #fcfrd #news pic.twitter.com/KMx5tEZjOS

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) April 15, 2018

Map via Google Maps

A fire on the outside of a two-story, garden-style apartment building on 11600 Ivystone Court was put out around 2:15 p.m. today.

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department responded to the report of a fire in the afternoon. The fire was visible at the front of the building. No injuries were reported. 

Initial reports indicate the fire was concentrated in the electrical entrance to the building. The building was evacuated as a precautionary measure and residents were allowed back in around 3 p.m. 

Dominion Energy also responded to the scene as firefighters cleared the ventilation system. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. 

This story has been updated.  Photo by Fatimah Waseem.

Funeral Services Held for Reston Couple Killed Before Christmas — Close to 800 people attended funeral services over the weekend for the Reston couple killed a few days before Christmas. A 17-year-old with suspected neo-Nazi sympathies has been charged in their murder. [WTOP]

Greater Reston Arts Center Selected for ’50 for 50 Arts Inspiration’Award — The Virginia Commission for the Arts, a state arts agency, selected GRACE to receive the award in the category of bedrock institutions. The “50 for 50 Arts Inspiration Awards” were conceived and designed by the commission as a 50th anniversary tribute to 50 examples of programs, individuals, and organizations critical to the arts in Virginia. [Viva Reston Lifestyle Magazine]

How to Dispose of Fire Place Ashes — After responding to several home fires involving ashes, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department is reminding residents to properly dispose of fire place ashes.  [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]

FBI Raids Home in Sterling — FBI agents arrested Sean Andrew Duncan on Friday and charged him with attempting to obstruct a terrorism investigation. According to court documents, law enforcement allege Duncan has links to terrorism and sympathized with ISIS.  [WUSA 9]

Flickr pool photo by Vantagehill

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue has released additional information about a Monday fire on Hearthstone Court in South Reston.

According to a news release from Fire and Rescue:

On Monday, October 2, at approximately 10:57 a.m., units from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and the Washington Metropolitan Airport Authority Fire and Rescue Department responded to a reported townhouse fire in the 11500 block of Hearthstone Court in the Reston section of Fairfax County.

Units arrived on scene and reported smoke showing from a two-story, middle unit townhouse. Crews quickly located and extinguished a fire in the basement of the townhouse. Firefighters rescued two cats from the home and reunited them with their owners.

Two adult occupants were home at the time of the fire. The fire was discovered when the occupants investigated an explosive sounding noise in the home and found the house filling with smoke. The occupants safely evacuated and called 9-1-1. A smoke alarm in the basement did activate.

Fire investigators determined the accidental fire started in the basement of the townhouse. It was caused by an incandescent lamp that was too close to combustible materials, they say.

No one was injured in the fire. Two adults and three teenage children who were displaced by the blaze are being assisted by Red Cross.

The fire is estimated to have caused about $90,000 in damages.

(This article was updated at 1 p.m. with information from Deputy Fire Chief Dan Shaw.)

Upward of two dozen emergency vehicles, including over a dozen fire trucks, responded to Hearthstone Court for a fire at a townhome Monday morning.

According to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, smoke was showing from a townhome in the 11500 block of Hearthstone Court, off Soapstone Drive, at about 11 a.m. Monday.

Units on scene 11500 block of Hearthstone Court, Reston, with smoke showing from townhouse. All occupants out and accounted for. pic.twitter.com/fAoYY3SyNi

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) October 2, 2017

The fire was quickly reported contained, and Fairfax Fire and Rescue reported it out at about 11:45 a.m.

In a video posted on social media at about 12:45 p.m., Deputy Fire Chief Dan Shaw said the two adult residents were out of the townhome when crews arrived; however, two pets were still inside.

Deputy Chief Shaw with an update on townhouse fire in the 11500 block of Hearthstone Court in Reston https://t.co/XNQSH1dn3X

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) October 2, 2017

“We were able to effectively put the fire out and keep it contained to the basement,” Shaw said. “[We were also] able to remove the two cats and get them back to the owners.”

Fire marshals are on the scene investigating the blaze, Shaw said.

(This article was updated at about 4:15 p.m. after Fairfax County Fire and Rescue provided a press release on the incident.)

Work is continuing as usual today at Bechtel (12011 Sunset Hills Road) after a Sunday fire on the building’s 11th floor.

Affected employees remain at work Monday but have been moved to other areas of the building, said Iva Zagar, Bechtel spokesperson.

“[Our facilities team] has been really helpful to the people who have been affected, to point them in the right direction,” she said. “I haven’t heard that anybody can’t do work, so everything is smooth this morning.”

The two-alarm fire before 8 a.m. Sunday at the One Reston Overlook building was electrical in nature, said Bill Delaney, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue public information officer. It involved a junction box around a set of work stations, he said, but how the box failed remains under investigation.

“They know it started there, but they’re still trying to figure out exactly what occurred,” Delaney said.

A restoration crew is at the site Monday working to clean up damage caused by the flames and accompanying smoke. According to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, damages from the fire are estimated at about $40,000. About 20 employees were working in the building at the time of the blaze; however, no one was reported injured.

“The good news is, the fire sprinklers did their job — they were able to contain the fire,” Delaney said. “Then our folks got there and were able to put the remainder of the fire out, but it did generate a good deal of smoke, and there was some damage as well from the actual flames.”

Light smoke damage was also reported in the 12th floor, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.

Bechtel is the largest construction and civil engineering company in the United States, and is one of the largest privately owned companies in the nation. Its Reston location is its nuclear, security and environmental business office.