Alexandria Firefighters Respond to Townhome Fire on Day Lane

The Alexandria Fire Department responded to a garage fire in a townhouse Thursday morning in the 700 block of Day Lane.

When fire fighters arrived on the scene they found a small fire, which had largely been extinguished by the home’s sprinkler system.

Fire fighters put out the remaining flames around 11:30 a.m.

The sprinkler fire system protected the owners’ car, motorcycle and other items stored in the garage. The system also prevented the fire from spreading beyond the garage, according to Fire Department spokesman Robert Rodriguez.

Some residences have residential sprinkler systems installed when they exceed certain height and area requirements under the building code. 

Virginia does not have a mandatory residential sprinkler requirement for townhouses, and Rodriguez said that’s something firefighters across the commonwealth have been urging for years.

Rodriguez said language in the Virginia Construction Code must be amended for the change to occur. The code is amended every three years.

“We’re hopeful that we’ll see something in upcoming changes planned for 2012,” he said, adding that the change would apply to new construction but would not be retroactive.

While legislators cannot make the change, Rodriguez said “they certainly have input.”

The property on Day Lane, which was constructed in 2006, had additional fire sprinkler protection added as part of a cooperative effort between the property developers and the city during the planning and development process, according to the Fire Department.

Rodriguez said the sprinkler system largely saved the house and allowed the family to return home.