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9 people taken to hospital after two-alarm fire in Fairfax County

A mother and three kids rescued themselves by tying bedsheets together and climbing down the "rope" while other residents jumped out 3rd-story windows.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — Nine people were taken to a nearby hospital, two with serious injuries, following a two-alarm fire in Fairfax County Thursday evening.

The Fairfax County Fire/Rescue responded to an apartment fire in the 800 block of Park Avenue in Herndon around 5:35 p.m. While en route, rescue crews were told residents were jumping out of the third-story windows. Fire department officials said a mother and three young children even rescued themselves by tying bedsheets together and climbing down the self-made rope; three other residents were saved via ladder by firefighters. 

Two of the nine people taken to the hospital following the fire have serious injuries. None of the victims have been identified. No firefighters were injured during the rescues. 

Initial investigation found that the fire started by accident in a bedroom, and involved a charging cable. Officials say 11 apartments were left uninhabitable, and 44 people were displaced. 

There were no working smoke alarms in the unit where the fire started, according to the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department, and the damage is estimated to be approximately $287,500. 

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