Three people are displaced after a Sunday fire in Merrifield.
Around 1:32 p.m., units responded to a four-story condo building in the 8000 block of Gatehouse Road. No one was home when the fire occurred, and there were no firefighter or resident injuries. A neighbor had noticed the fire and called 911.
The fire was discovered on a third floor balcony, and crews quickly extinguished the blaze. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the exterior. Damages were estimated to be $16,000, and the residents declined Red Cross assistance. Investigators determine the cause was improper disposal of smoking materials in a plastic flower pot.