News

Faulty battery charger possibly to blame for garage fire in Old Town North

By Vernon Miles and James Cullum
1/5

A homeowner in Old Town said they believe a faulty battery charger may be to blame for a fire that destroyed two cars and briefly closed a portion of Pendleton Street today.

The report of the fire came in around 1 p.m. for a detached garage at 502 Pendleton Street.

Pendleton Street was briefly shut down at St. Asaph Street as crews worked to put out the fire in the garage.

As of 2:20 p.m., the fire was completely extinguished. The owner told ALXnow that they suspect a faulty battery charger in the garage may have been to blame.

There has been an increase in fires related to battery chargers in recent years. The Arlington County Fire Department held a demonstration earlier this year of dangers related to punctured rechargeable batters and overcharged e-bikes.

About the Authors

  • Vernon Miles is the ALXnow cofounder and editor. He's covered Alexandria since 2014 and has been with Local News Now since 2018. When he's not reporting, he can usually be found playing video games or Dungeons and Dragons with friends.

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.