On Thursday, a fire spread rapidly through the Kids Choice Sports Center in Woodbridge, leaving four people homeless and causing significant damage. This was one of multiple fast-moving fires in the Baltimore, Woodbridge, and Manassas area, fueled by strong winds. The 50,000-square-foot sports center was reduced to a charred shell, with what remained of the warehouse, once home to a pool, laser tag, and various sports courts, hollowed out and covered in soot.

Manager's Account

Linda Bradshaw, the general manager of Kids Choice, was inside the building with her son when she smelled smoke. "I'd just come out my office door right over there. I looked to the right, and I just see flames on the wall," she said. "It wasn't even down on the ground. It just seemed to start right in the middle of the wall." She quickly called 911, gathered their belongings, and evacuated. Fire investigators are still trying to determine what sparked the fire just before 4 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. Due to the winds, the flames quickly spread from the Devil's Reach Road home to the sports center directly behind it.

Impact on Families

Four adults lived in the Devil's Reach Road home and were left without belongings or a place to stay. The Red Cross is assisting them. Bradshaw herself went to the hospital after inhaling smoke. She emphasized that if the fire had started just one hour later, when kids were set to arrive for after-school programs, more people could have been hurt.

Aftermath and Future

The Kids Choice center announced its temporary closure on Thursday evening due to "unforeseen circumstances." Standing outside the open and blackened doorway, Bradshaw expressed hope for a rebuild. "I'm hoping to rebuild. I'm hoping they can decide to rebuild it and make it bigger and better. Because it was an older building. But those sprinklers did their job, because it looks like the other half is gonna be OK."