Quantico man dies in 2-alarm apartment fire

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Update

Frank Anthony Desanto, 69, died inside his apartment Thursday when it caught fire in Quantico. 

Prince William County fire and rescue officials said improperly discarded smoking materials inside Desanto’s apartment was the cause of the blaze. The fire started inside a bedroom of the apartment. 

The fire caused $30,000 in damage, according to fire investigators. 

Fire crews rescued two people from the apartment complex using ground ladders, and three others were rescued using the stairs of the apartment complex.

Improperly discarded smoking materials are the leading cause of fire deaths in the U.S., according to Prince William County fire and rescue Chief Kevin McGee. 

Original post

Neighbors said the victim in an apartment fire had lived there for years. 

The unidentified man lived in an apartment at the intersection of Broadway Street and 2nd Avenue in Quantico. 

The 2-alarm blaze broke out about 7 a.m. Fire crews rushed to the scene.

“I was up and watching TV when I heard something. I thought it was the trash truck, but then I smelled the smoke,” said Travis Perry, who escaped the blaze with his wife and children.

Perry and his wife said they tried to help the victim escape, but “there was too much smoke,” Perry said.
Neighbors looked on as fire crews assessed the scene. An investigation will begin into the fire, and the scene will be turned over to police.

Prince William fire and rescue Chief Kevin McGee came to the scene.

Investigators had not confirmed the name or age of the victim.

More on this as we have it.