A homeowner told News4 a cheap power strip caused a fire large enough to destroy two Fairfax County townhomes Thursday.
More than 70 firefighters responded to a fire in the 3300 block of Holly Hill Road around 3:30 p.m. as flames shot through the home Mohamed Dahman shared with his parents.
Dahman told News4's Shomari Stone he had his iPad, Kindle and personal computer plugged into a cheap power strip, when his living room turned into an inferno.
"I saw fire behind the couch," Dahman said. His face and one of his arms were burned in the fire. "Everything I worked for is going down. They're going to tear the house down ... we need to stop buying those cheap components."
Dahman's townhome and the one next door have been destroyed. A third was damaged as well.
An official cause of the fire hasn't been determined. One firefighter was injured during the response but is expected to be okay.
