Patient succumbs to injuries after Ashburn house fire

The critically injured adult who was rescued from March 12 house fire in the Farmwell Hunt Community of Ashburn has succumbed to her injuries. The deceased has been identified as 45-year-old Nylsa Clark.

At approximately 4:45 a.m. on Friday, March 12, 2021, fire and rescue units from Ashburn, Moorefield, Lansdowne, Sterling, Kincora, Leesburg, and Fairfax County, responded to a reported fire in the basement with someone trapped, in a single-family home on Keane Court in Ashburn.

Firefighters arrived on scene to find fire and smoke coming from the rear of the two-story, single-family structure, with fire rapidly extending to the attic and roof areas.  Fire and rescue crews immediately entered the structure to extinguish the fire and search for occupants. Ms. Clark was quickly located and brought outside to waiting advanced life support personnel who transported her to the hospital with critical injuries. Five occupants in the home were evaluated and treated at area hospitals along with one firefighter who sustained a minor injury.

The Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office investigation determined that the fire was accidental, caused by an unattended candle inside the home. The occupants were alerted to the fire by working smoke alarms allowing them to escape and call for help.

Fire Marshals remind residents to stay vigilant and only use candles in a safe manner. Candles should be placed on a sturdy, nonflammable surface, away from children, pets and anything that can burn. Candles require constant adult supervision, and you must ensure that candles are completely extinguished before leaving the area.

In addition to candle safety, home escape planning is a critical tool for families to be fire safe. Home escape plans should have two ways out of each room and a meeting place where you and your family will meet. 

Remember, fire spreads rapidly. In some instances, you and your household may have as little as three minutes from the time the smoke alarm sounds to escape safely. When smoke alarms sound, occupants should immediately exit the structure and stay outside until firefighters arrive. Never go back in a burning building. There is not time to stop for toys, pets, or other things. Get out and stay out.