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Victim in fatal Fairfax Co. fire identified

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WASHINGTON — Fairfax County fire officials have confirmed the identity of the man who died in a house fire Monday morning.

The Fairfax County Fire Department said Wednesday that 64-year-old Charles Petrello died in the fire in the 4100 block of Mount Echo Lane.

Firefighters were called to the single-story house in the Greenbriar section of Fairfax County at about 10:40 a.m. Monday. Fire officials said smoke was showing from one of the bedroom’s windows when they arrived and one of the men, who lived in the house, had managed to escape and was waiting for firefighters in his front yard.

Fire crews extinguished the fire and located Petrello’s body inside.

Investigators said the fire, which was caused by “improperly discarded smoking materials,” started in a bedroom. The department did not provide any specifics about the smoking materials.

Homicide detectives are continuing to investigate Petrello’s death, and are awaiting more analysis from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Fairfax Co. seeks to exempt Potomac River to protect water if Va. declares drought emergency

Northern Virginia remains under a drought watch, and Fairfax County leaders want to make sure there’s enough drinking water to go around if Virginia declares a drought emergency. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors authorized Chairman Jeff McKay to write to Governor Abigail Spanberger, to request that the Potomac River be excluded from a Virginia drought-specific declaration, since Fairfax Water is dependent on the Potomac as its drinking water supply.
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