News
By Jacqueline Roper
|
April 11, 2000
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.