Discarded cigarette ashes appear to be the cause of the Thursday afternoon fire at the Ivy Gardens Apartment complex.
Someone tossed the ashes into a garbage can and then left the building, giving the ashes time to smolder and cause the fire, Albemarle County spokeswoman Lee Catlin said.
The fire, which Catlin said is assumed to be accidental, left five Darden and three Law School students homeless and caused an estimated $500,000 in damages - $380,000 for damages to the structure and $120,000 for the loss or damage to the contents of the affected apartments.
While the majority of the damage was caused by smoke and water, especially in the apartments on the lower floors, some flame damage did occur, Catlin said. Fire fighters hosed the blaze for 45 minutes Thursday before controlling the flames.
With eight graduate students homeless, the Darden and Law School communities have come to their aid.
"Dozens of Darden students have offered us their places as temporary housing," said second-year Darden student Sergei Pirogov, a fire victim.
"We were able to accommodate the students in Sponsors Hall immediately," Darden spokesman Phil Giaramita said.
Sponsors Hall usually is used by the Darden School to house executives and professionals invited to the school.
"Their most immediate need was for shelter ... we are in the process of compiling lists now" of what the students need, Giaramita said.
The Law School has taken similar measures to aid its three displaced students.
The "Law School community has rallied to help the students" and assist them as much as needed, Law School spokeswoman Denise Forster said.
Forster said Beverly Harmon, assistant dean for student affairs, "has met with all of the students and their needs are being met."
Student groups also are getting involved in helping their peers in their time of need.
"I've spoken to the president of the Student Bar Association about a possible joint fundraiser" to aid the students, Darden Student Association President Chris Gray said.
Gray said three of the affected Darden students are preparing to graduate next month, but two are first-year students at Darden, and they experienced the most problems.
"We need to wait a couple of days until we know what their needs are," he said.
Repair on the apartment complex is expected to take one to two months.
Ivy Gardens property manager Cliff Hammer could not be reached for comment.
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