A fire that started because a combustible liquid had been stored too closely to a heat source resulted in more than $2.8 million in damages to the Courtland Farm Manor Inn in Aldie.
The fire that was ruled accidental sent two people, a staffer and a firefighter, to the hospital for evaluation. Both have been released.
The blaze also forced four guests from the inn. It started Saturday morning at the property on Courtland Farm Lane and took firefighters 90 minutes to bring it under control, according to the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System.
Firefighters responded at 8:48 a.m. on Saturday. When they arrived, they found smoke coming from the renovated historic home that has an addition that operates as the inn. The Courtland Farm Manor Inn hosts about 20 weddings a year. According to its website, the property underwent a $4 million renovation in 2016.
The fire “traveled through void spaces, between walls and in floors throughout the renovated and historic structure,” the fire department said in a release. That posed challenges for the firefighters.
Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph added to those challenges, as did the need to bring water to the rural scene.
Initially, units from Arcola, Aldie, Moorefield, Leesburg, Dulles South, Kirkpatrick Farms, and Prince William County responded, along with the fire marshal’s office. Firefighters then called for a Rapid Intervention Task Force, and additional firefighters came in from Kirkpatrick Farms, Moorefield, Leesburg, and Ashburn.
When the fire went to a second alarm, the fire department called in a tanker task force and support units from Middleburg, Philomont, Hamilton, Lansdowne, Kincora, Fairfax County, and Dulles International Airport.
The total damage estimate was $2,838,528. Of that, $1,774,080 was for the structure and $1,064,448 for the contents.
Feature image courtesy Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System/Facebook
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